Inventory of Wetlands of Nadia District, West Bengal, India and their Characterization as Natural Resources

Abstract

An inventory of wetlands, which includes the gathering of information on (i) location, size, biotic and abiotic features and status of these resources, (ii) characteristics, function, treats and positive actions related to the use of the wetlands and (iii) design and development, is a prerequisite database for effective management and monitoring. This can be accomplished effectively if the inventory is prepared using methods that identify distinct wetland units and provide information of the particular wetland. To achieve this, an inventory of 75 wetlands of Nadia district of West Bengal, India has been prepared, adopting modified classification system used by Zalidis et al. (1997).