In a significant move to address escalating environmental concerns, the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) in Kochi has announced the establishment of a dedicated Centre for Wetland Studies. This initiative is a direct response to the alarming rate of wetland and paddy field conversion, primarily for real estate projects, particularly in the Ernakulam district.
The Driving Force: A Real Estate Boom at Nature's Cost
The decision comes against a troubling backdrop. Recent data from the land revenue commissionerate highlights that Ernakulam leads the state in the number of applications seeking conversion of land. This surge is fuelled by a real estate boom on the outskirts of Kochi and in neighbouring municipalities along the banks of the iconic Vembanad Lake. The large-scale transformation of these ecologically sensitive areas has raised urgent alarms about the need for structured conservation and protection, especially for designated Ramsar sites.
Vembanad Lake: A System in Peril
A core priority for the new centre will be to establish the Vembanad–Kol wetland system as a national pilot site for comprehensive restoration and carrying-capacity assessment. Professor A Biju Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Kufos, underscored the critical need for this focus. He pointed out that while the state government has initiated a Vembanad restoration scheme, the involvement of multiple stakeholders creates complexity. "The biggest lacuna is that there is no authority to overlook the wetland system in its entirety in the state or in the country," Biju Kumar stated.
He emphasised the scale of the challenge, noting that Vembanad is one of the largest Ramsar sites in the region, connecting three districts. The other two Ramsar sites in Kerala are Ashtamudi and Sasthamkotta. The urgency for action is starkly highlighted by a five-year Kufos study on the Vembanad Lake system. The findings are alarming: the lake's water carrying capacity has plummeted by 85% over the last 120 years due to massive encroachment and ecosystem destruction. The report attributes this decline to a severe reduction in the lake's area, which has shrunk from 365 square kilometres in 1900 to just 206.30 square kilometres today.
Expert Recommendations and Future Roadmap
An expert committee at the recently held Tropical Summit 2025 at Kufos put forward crucial recommendations. They called for a detailed restoration and carrying-capacity study for Vembanad–Kol, specifically evaluating the impact of houseboat tourism, dredging, other tourist activities, and water abstraction. The committee also proposed innovative solutions to manage the pervasive water hyacinth problem, suggesting its use in developing biodegradable products, horticulture substrates, and for bund strengthening, thereby creating commercial value from a menace.
Outlining the university's role, Biju Kumar explained that Kufos aims to build capacity and awareness. "We propose to train and raise legal awareness of wetland rules, CRZ provisions, and biodiversity regulations," he said. He clarified that as an academic institution, Kufos cannot directly regulate restoration on government-owned wetlands. Instead, the university will act as a scientific backbone. "We can help form a consortium of experts and help the state with scientific research, training, and guidance. The authority can then regulate the processes," he concluded, highlighting the collaborative model envisioned for saving Kerala's vital wetland ecosystems.
