Srinagar, Aug 08: The Financial commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Forest, Dheeraj Gupta, Thursday inaugurated a multi-stakeholders workshop for management of Wular Lake at Banquet Hall,
M.A Road Srinagar.
The workshop was organised by Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) in association with Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) – German Development Cooperation (GIZ) Technical Cooperation project ‘Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection’.
The workshop aims to facilitate discussions on management actions so far, their effectiveness, and jointly identify future priorities and strategies for integrated management of Wular Lake.
In his address, the Additional Chief Secretary forests said that the J&K government has embarked on a transformative journey to restore and revitalize the Wular Lake with special focus on the ecotourism and livelihood of the local communities.
The ACS Forests urged upon the need for a thorough analysis of past efforts and the outcome thereof. He emphasised for improved inter-departmental collaboration to ensure cohesive and coordinated efforts across
various governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Identifying Wular as a societal asset, he added that tourism in Kashmir has experienced a significant surge over the past four years, leading to an increased interest in the region’s natural and cultural attractions.
In response to this growth, the WUCMA is actively developing a comprehensive zonal master plan for ecotourism around Wular to develop it as a symbol of tourism in Kashmir valley.
This master plan is designed to integrate sustainable practices that maintain the ecological balance of the lake and its surrounding areas, while simultaneously fostering the livelihood of the local communities.
The ACS forests further said that the workshop will produce actionable points for the management and conservation of Wular that will provide a clear and comprehensive
roadmap, outlining specific timelines with milestones and measurable indicators.
This roadmap will guide the future efforts of WUCMA aiming at enhanced coordination among stakeholders towards achieving a sustainable and thriving ecosystem around Wular Lake.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Director (CED) WUCMA T. Rabi Kumar, while welcoming the participants highlighted various conservation activities taken up so far.
He said that around 5 Sq.km of the critically silted area of the lake has been dredged out which has significantly enhanced water flow and improved the overall water regime, leading to
habitat restoration and attracting an array of avian visitors annually, making the lake a crucial stopover along migratory routes.
He added that continuous monitoring and improved waste management have significantly maintained the water quality of the lake. The multi-stakeholder workshop is essentially a platform for integrating diverse perspectives of the stakeholders and developing comprehensive strategies for the sustainable management of
Wular, the CED added.
Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director WISA also addressed during the workshop and highlighted the impact of the activities taken up by WUCMA and laid down a
broad outline for the future management.
The MoEF&CC-GIZ Technical Cooperation Project ‘Wetlands Management for
Biodiversity and Climate Protection’ is being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir jointly with Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA), J&K Wetland Authority and J&K Forest Department (DEERS), with technical support of Wetlands International South Asia (WISA). In this workshop, representatives from the District Administration of Bandipore and Baramulla, departments like RDD, PHE, Tourism, Fisheries, Agriculture, Horticulture,
Wildlife Protection and Forests participated.
Local NGOs, researchers from institutions like the University of Kashmir, Wildlife Institute of India, SKUAST- K, National Institute of Hydrology and community members from the fishermen community around Wular Lake also participated.
