Life Sciences International Research Journal Volume 7 Issue 1 ISSN 2347- 8691 Journal Published by IMRF Journals | 2020 Edition | 46 SUSTAINABLE WETLAND MANAGEMENT IN INDIA: CHARTING A COURSE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Alok Kumar Chandrakar Department of Forestry, Wildlife & Environmental Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India Email: alokanand1234@gmail.com S.S.Dhuria Department of Forestry, Wildlife & Environmental Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India Received: Aug. 2020 Accepted: Sep. 2020 Published: Oct. 2020 Abstract: Wetlands are widely recognized as transitional areas between terrestrial and aquatic systems. They provide multifunctional benefits, most prominently relating to the ecosystem, the economy and to scenic quality. They are one of the maximum productive ecosystems that support diverse and unique habitats and biodiversity and known for its diverse ecosystem goods and services. They do not only ameliorate environmental impacts of agriculture and other ecological disturbances in watersheds but also offer various ecosystem services to human society. The sustainable use of wetlands is critical to improve social cohesion and economic stability and also to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Extensive areas of wetlands have been lost, either as a direct result of re-designation for other uses, especially industrial and recreational, or by qualitative degradation arising from water pollution. In India, about half of global wetlands have found to be lost, and the conditions of remaining wetlands are deteriorating due to natural as well as anthropogenic cause. The undesirable economic, environmental, and social consequences decline the water quality in wetlands, and these are one of the major issues for degraded wetlands in the country. Thus, it is imperative to emphasize on the restoration of the degraded wetlands along with the conservation and management of the existing wetlands since they are one of the most valuable and fragile components of the watershed. In this study, the author strongly suggests the management practices for wetland conservation should be based on the traditional knowledge and resource uses that will eventually aid in fostering biodiversity and preserving key ecosystem services in cost-effective and sustainable way. Keywords: Wetlands, India, Ecosystem Services, Management, Sustainable Development. 1. Introduction: Wetlands are amongst the most productive ecosystems on the earth (Ghermandi et al., 2010), and provide many important services to human society (ten Brink et al., 2012). However, they are also ecologically sensitive and adaptive systems (Turner et al., 2000). Wetlands exhibit enormous diversity according to their genesis, geographical location, water regime and chemistry, dominant species, and soil and sediment characteristics. The interactions of physical, chemical and biological components of wetlands enable it to perform the vital functions (Space Application Centre, 2011). Ecosystem goods provided by the wetlands mainly include: water for irrigation and fisheries; non-timber forest products and water supply for drinking. Major services include: carbon sequestration, flood control, groundwater recharge, nutrient removal, toxics retention and biodiversity maintenance and recreation (Turner et al., 2000).