Naya Bandh Wetland Complex (18462)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Naya Bandh Wetland Complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.9208, Longitude: 88.3333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 30 to 35
Area of KBA (km2): 0.21761
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Naya Bandh area extends from the Indo-Bangla border to Naya Bandh Beel. It is a low lying area which includes several seasonal wetlands, mainly Chalka, Bakla, Vikon, Morkatta, Mona and Sirishdang. These distinct wetlands together form the Naya Bandh wetland complex. This wetland complex depends on two rivers, namely Tangon and Purarbhaba. During monsoon, the area gets connected with the River Punarbhaba and gets flooded. After the monsoon, the water recedes and several small wetlands develop, with a rich variety of aquatic vegetation. There is a small monoculture plantation of Barringtonia acutangula at the Bangladesh border.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: About 150 species of birds have been identified in this IBA (S. Jha, pers. comm. 2003), of which six are globally threatened, five Near Threatened, and 11 biome species. Among the thousands of other ducks, about 140 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca were seen in January 2003 (Anon. 2003). In 1994, the 1% biogeographic population of this species was estimated at 100 (Rose and Scott 1994), but recently, Wetlands International (2002) could not determine the 1% population threshold of this species as it was difficult to assess the tens of thousands that were found breeding in Inner Mongolia. It is also very common in the Tibetan Plateau (Birdlife International 2001). About 70,000 individuals winter in a large wetland habitat locally called hoars in northeast Bangladesh. However, BirdLife International (2001) still keeps it in the Near Threatened category, as the population is declining, mainly due to hunting and drainage of its wetland habitats. This site lies in Biome-11 (Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone). BirdLife International (undated) has listed 59 species in this biome, of which 11 have been found here. Most of the birds listed are quite common and presently of not much conservation concern. Despite the fact that this site has six species considered globally threatened, none of them have significant populations in this IBA. Naya Bandh is designated as an IBA for its value as a waterfowl habitat. If proper protection is provided, the Naya Bandh wetlands could easily host more than 20,000 waterfowl. OTHER KEY FAUNA: No information is available on other key fauna.
Delineation rationale: 2014-02-10 (BL Secretariat): latitude adjusted from 24 deg 55.00'N to 55.25'N, to move coords from Bangladesh into India.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | forestry
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Aquaculture; Hunting of birds; Excessive reed gathering; Land reclamation; Use of pesticide in nearby agricultural fields. The area is unprotected, and thousands of ducks are killed annually by the tribals. However, the long-term threat is the government plan to drain a part of the area under the Wasteland Reclamation Programme. The land would be distributed to the local landless people for cultivation. Excessive reed gathering is also destroying the habitat of wet-grassland- dependent bird species such as the Striated Marsh Warbler Megalurus palustris.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Only in the future |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Herbicides and pesticides | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Anonymous (2003) Inland Wetlands of Central West Bengal. Unpublished Report, submitted to Sâlim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, under the Project “Inland Wetlands of India” 2002. Green Peoples India, West Bengal. BirdLife International (2001) Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. BirdLife International (undated) Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Asia: Project briefing book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K., unpublished. Rose, P. M. and Scott, D. A. (1994) Waterfowl Population Estimates: International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB Special Publication 29). Slimbridge, U.K. Wetlands International (2002) Waterbirds Population Estimates: Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, The Netherlands.