World Wetlands Day: Assam’s vanishing wetlands and the high cost of over-industrialisation
Heramba Nath
World Wetlands Day, observed every year on 2 February, is not merely a symbolic occasion in the global environmental calendar. It is a moment of collective reflection on ecosystems that remain largely invisible in public discourse despite sustaining life in some of the most fundamental ways. Wetlands—marshes, swamps, floodplains, peatlands, lakes, rivers, mangroves and estuaries—are among the most productive and life-supporting ecosystems on Earth. Yet they are also among the most threatened, sacrificed repeatedly at the altar of unchecked development, short-term economic gain and misguided notions of progress.
For generations, wetlands have been misunderstood as wastelands—waterlogged, unproductive spaces waiting to be drained, filled and converted for “useful” purposes. This perception has proved ecologically disastrous. In reality, wetlands function as the planet’s natural kidneys. They filter pollutants, trap sediments, purify water and maintain nutrient cycles. They act as giant sponges, absorbing excess rainfall during monsoons and releasing water gradually during dry seasons. In an age marked by climate volatility, erratic rainfall, floods and prolonged droughts, wetlands are not optional ecological assets; they are essential life-support systems.
The ecological richness of wetlands is unparalleled. They provide breeding, feeding and nursery grounds for fish, amphibians, reptiles and countless invertebrates. They support dense populations of birds, including migratory species that travel thousands of kilometres across continents, relying on wetlands as safe resting and feeding stations. For many species, wetlands are not alternative habitats but the only environments in which survival is possible. When wetlands disappear, biodiversity does not decline gradually—it collapses, often silently and irreversibly.
Human civilisation itself has evolved in close relationship with wetlands. The earliest settlements flourished along rivers and floodplains because wetlands ensured fertile soil, reliable water sources and abundant food. Even today, millions of people depend directly on wetlands for fishing, agriculture, grazing, fuel, reeds, medicinal plants and livelihoods connected to tourism and traditional crafts. In South Asia and particularly in the North East of India, wetlands are deeply embedded in cultural memory, folklore, rituals and seasonal rhythms of life.
In Assam, wetlands have historically shaped both the physical landscape and the social fabric of the State. Beels, haors and floodplains once defined vast stretches of Assam’s geography, creating a living mosaic of water, vegetation and wildlife. These wetlands softened the land, moderated the climate and supported rich biodiversity. They added to Assam’s distinctive natural beauty—open horizons reflecting the sky, seasonal blooms of aquatic plants, and the arrival of migratory birds that transformed wetlands into living spectacles.
However, over the past few decades, Assam has witnessed a steady and alarming extinction of wetlands due to over-industrialisation and unplanned development. Rapid industrial expansion, often poorly regulated and environmentally insensitive, has treated wetlands as expendable spaces. Industrial estates, brick kilns, oil and gas infrastructure, warehouses, highways, railway expansions and urban real estate projects have increasingly occupied low-lying wetland areas. Such land is frequently labelled as “vacant”, “unused” or “waste”, making it an easy target for conversion.
Over-industrialisation has led to the physical destruction of wetlands across the State. Many water bodies have been filled with earth, construction debris and industrial waste, severing natural drainage channels and disrupting hydrological systems that evolved over centuries. Surviving wetlands are choked by industrial effluents, plastic waste, chemical runoff and untreated sewage. What were once living ecosystems gradually turn into polluted, stagnant pools incapable of supporting life. Unlike natural degradation, this form of destruction is deliberate, permanent and driven by short-term economic priorities rather than long-term ecological responsibility.
The consequences of wetland extinction in Assam are severe and multi-layered. One of the most visible impacts is the gradual erosion of natural beauty. Landscapes once marked by shimmering waters, lotus blooms and vibrant birdlife are replaced by concrete structures, smoke-filled skylines, dust and mechanical noise. This aesthetic loss is not superficial; it signals a deeper ecological imbalance. When wetlands vanish, the land loses its ability to breathe, absorb and regenerate.
Floods, long a natural part of Assam’s ecology, have become increasingly destructive. Wetlands that once absorbed excess monsoon water from rivers like the Brahmaputra and its tributaries no longer exist to perform this buffering function. As a result, floodwaters spread rapidly, damaging homes, roads, crops and infrastructure. Conversely, during dry months, water scarcity intensifies because natural storage systems have been destroyed. The same development that promises growth thus deepens vulnerability.
Biodiversity loss has been equally devastating. Fish populations decline as breeding grounds disappear. Migratory birds find fewer safe resting and feeding spaces, altering age-old migratory patterns. Amphibians and aquatic plants vanish without notice, weakening food chains and ecological stability. Traditional fishing communities, once sustained by wetlands, struggle to survive. Agricultural practices suffer as water availability becomes erratic. The extinction of wetlands therefore represents not just an environmental crisis but a social and economic one as well.
Culturally, the loss is profound. Wetlands occupy a central place in Assam’s collective memory—featured in folk songs, stories, seasonal festivals and everyday language. As wetlands disappear, cultural connections weaken. Younger generations grow up disconnected from landscapes that once shaped identity, knowledge and values. The erosion of wetlands thus also signifies the erosion of cultural continuity.
The crisis unfolding in Assam mirrors a disturbing global pattern. Worldwide, more than one-third of wetlands have been lost over the last century due to urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, pollution, sand mining and large infrastructure projects. Climate change intensifies these pressures through rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and sea-level rise, particularly threatening coastal and riverine wetlands.
World Wetlands Day also raises urgent questions about governance and accountability. Although laws and policies for wetland protection exist, enforcement remains weak and fragmented. Wetlands often fall between administrative boundaries, creating confusion over responsibility. Their benefits—flood moderation, water purification, climate regulation and biodiversity support—remain largely invisible in economic calculations until disaster strikes. This invisibility makes wetlands easy victims of development models focused on immediate returns.
Local communities are indispensable to wetland conservation. Where people are recognised as custodians rather than obstacles, protection efforts tend to be more effective and sustainable. Traditional knowledge related to water flows, fish breeding cycles and vegetation management offers valuable insights that can complement scientific planning. Equally vital is public awareness, so wetlands are understood not as stagnant or unproductive spaces but as dynamic systems essential to everyday life.
Education systems, media and civil society have a crucial role to play in reshaping public perception. Wetlands should not enter public conversation only after floods, pollution scandals or ecological disasters. Observing World Wetlands Day must go beyond symbolic events and official statements. It should lead to concrete actions: systematic mapping of wetlands, restoration of degraded water bodies, strict regulation of industrial pollution, prevention of encroachment and development planning that respects ecological limits.
As climate uncertainty deepens and water stress intensifies, the question facing societies is no longer whether wetlands are important, but whether regions like Assam can afford to lose them. Over-industrialisation that ignores ecological realities does not represent progress; it represents deferred catastrophe.
The future of wetlands depends on decisions taken today—by governments, planners, industries, communities and individuals. Protecting wetlands is not an act of resistance to development, but an assertion of intelligent, ethical and sustainable development. In safeguarding wetlands, Assam safeguards its natural beauty, biodiversity, cultural memory and resilience. The silence left behind by extinct wetlands should serve as a powerful warning: when nature is erased for short-term gain, the cost is borne not only by the present, but by generations yet to come.