Basai wetlands                                             

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Context: Environmentalists and enthusiasts seek protection for Basai wetlands, a ‘bird paradise’.

About Basai Wetland:

• Located in: It is located in Gurgaon district in Haryana.
• It is recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the BirdLife International housing 20,000 birds of over 280 species including migratory birds and endangered birds.
• It is recognised as a key biodiversity area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Wildlife Institute of India.
• It lies in one of the paleochannel of the Sahibi River, a tributary of Yamuna, which originates from the Aravalli range in Rajasthan.

What are Wetlands?

• Definition: These are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season.
• Wetlands support both aquatic and terrestrial species.

Ecological importance of wetlands:

The wetlands provide a wide range of important resources and ecosystem services such as

• groundwater recharge
• water purification
• flood moderation
• erosion control and climate regulation

Categories of wetlands

Two general categories of wetlands are recognized: coastal or tidal wetlands and inland or non-tidal wetlands.

Functions of wetland:

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