Fisheries

Inland aquatic fisheries form an important source of livelihood for a significant proportion of population in India. Climate change is projected to have a huge impact on inland aquatic ecosystems and the fisheries sector in India. While there are a number of studies on the impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and fish, most of these are from the temperate countries.

Floods are often perceived as a destructive force in Assam and other parts of India.

The Ganga, India's poisoned lifeline

Freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, ponds cover only 0.8 percent of the Earth’s surface, but are incredibly biodiverse. They harbour around ~15,000 fish species, corresponding to approximately half of the global known fish.

Human activities such as water abstraction, diversion, damming, and pollution are posing a threat to the survival of fish.

The total area under tanks and ponds in India is over 2.9 million hectares (Ministry of Jal Shakti, 2017).

Rivers, carriers of plastic

Located in the Bichhiya block of Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, Changariya is a small village comprising 265 households.

Nestled in the north Kashmir region is Wular lake, India’s largest freshwater lake or wetland.

A large section of the population living in the Ganga river basin still depends on the river for daily use activities and livelihood. Hence, the cleaning of the Ganga river’s water and making it safe for use remains a major goal for policymakers.

The Amphan cyclone that struck the Sundarbans in the month of May this year has wreaked havoc in the area destroying lives and livelihood. A lot of the locals living in the Sundarbans depend on animal husbandry and fishing to earn a living. The cyclone destroyed animal rearing shelters and swept away most of the cattle and domestic animals.