Eastern Himalayan Rivers
Ecosystems at risk: Study
The freshwater ecosystems and the species are at risk in the Eastern Himalayan rivers, including Ganges and Brahmaputra, due to the development of water resources and construction of dams on these rivers.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the development of water resources is rapidly expanding in the Eastern Himalayan region and there is a serious lack of information to guide conservation and development planning. This is putting freshwater ecosystems and the species at risk, along with the livelihoods and economies of local communities which they support.
A recent study showed that 31.3 percent of the 1,073 freshwater species of fishes, molluscs, dragonflies and damselflies currently known in the Eastern Himalayan region are assessed as data deficient, emphasising the need for extensive new research.
IUCN and Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO) jointly carried out the study for identifying the IUCN "Red List of Threatened Species."
The study revealed that of those species, 7.2 percent are classed as threatened and a further 5.4 percent considered to be near threatened.
The lower parts of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers have been heavily impacted by pollution, the clearing and degradation of forests (leading to sedimentation and changes in flow regimes) and the development of dams.
The impacts are significant upon some species like populations of the fishes, Putitor Mahseer and Tor putitora, found in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and other river basins, which have declined across its range and are predicted to further decline by up to 80 percent by next 100 years, the study said.
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