Protection of fresh water ecosystems and threatened species the Western Ghats, India
Project overview
The Munnar Hills in Kerala, India, located in the Western Ghats, are home to rich biodiversity, including many endemic and threatened species. The region’s unique freshwater ecosystems, formed by three major rivers and their tributaries, support numerous odonate and fish species. However, these ecosystems face significant conservation challenges, such as water pollution from sewage, tourism, municipal waste, and agricultural runoff, all exacerbated by a lack of community awareness. The Munnar Forest Division includes six protected areas (PAs) under the Munnar Wildlife Division, while the remaining areas fall under the Territorial Area (TA), which comprises plantations, agriculture, settlements, and tourism.
Threats
Climate change
Habitat loss & degradation
Invasive alien species
Pollution
Wildlife migrates between the PAs and the TA for biological reasons. The division is also home to diverse tribal communities that are adapting to tourism and contributing to eco-tourism and non-timber forest product (NTFP) production.
Project objectives
This project aims to safeguard Munnar’s freshwater ecosystems and conserve threatened species through fieldwork, community awareness, water quality studies, pollution reduction, and improved water services. Seasonal surveys will focus on odonates and fish, along with water quality assessments. Community engagement, particularly with tribal and plantation laborers, will include campaigns, workshops, and the promotion of eco-friendly sanitation practices. Over 12 months, the project will assess biodiversity, raise community awareness, and ensure stakeholder participation for long-term sustainability.
Project activities
- Conduct fieldwork to assess and monitor the status of the project’s threatened species in the Territorial Munnar Division, and raise community awareness about the value of biodiversity and sustainable conservation practices.
- Study water quality in freshwater habitats, and analyse the relationships between changes in faunal patterns, particularly of selected taxa, by involving local communities to address knowledge gaps.
- Minimize pollution, including excess nutrients, by promoting sanitation and waste management practices among plantation workers, tourism operators, and local communities, ensuring pollution levels are not detrimental to ecosystem function and biodiversity.
- Improve water-related services to enhance health, livelihoods, and well-being, with a focus on the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable, through awareness initiatives, the provision of Bio-sand water filters, and the establishment of a Model Public Bio-toilet Mini Complex in Munnar.
- Highlight and preserve the rich tribal and ethnobotanical culture of the Division, which is home to one of the most diverse tribal populations that rely on natural resources, support communities that have adapted to tourism and play a significant role in eco-tourism and NTFP production.
This project is implemented by the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences.
