the goan I network
PANAJI
The new IBAs have been revealed in the latest book -- Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA): Priority Sites for Conservation -- authored by noted ornithologist Dr Asad Rahmani along with two other co-authors and published by Bombay Natural History Society.
The three new IBAs are Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Navelim wetlands bordering the villages of Navelim and Kudne in Bicholim taluka and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, which have been recognized by BirdLife International as priority sites for bird and bird habitat conservation.
Zoology students from Government College Sanquelim monitored the Navelim wetland for an entire year documenting birds and other wildlife under the guidance of Harshada Gauns, who is the Joint Treasurer of GBCN.
Apart from three new IBAs, the extent of Carambolim wetland has been increased to include the very important and fragile region of Dhado which has recently become a very important wintering ground for many species of migratory birds.
Before 2017, Goa had four IBAs identified and recognized which included Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Carambolim Wetlands, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Says President of GBCN Parag Rangnekar, “Goa probably has more sites than the seven identified which also deserve to be notified as IBAs. However, lack of systematic effort in the past to document birds created a void of data because of which we could not propose more sites to BNHS which coordinates the IBA programme in India. With continuous efforts of GBCN members and other birdwatchers from the State we will be able to fill this gap in the future.”
Parag is one of the contributors of the Goa chapter in the new book.
Adds Pronoy Baidya, Vice-president GBCN, “While analyzing data on birds of the State we realized that we have two species of critically endangered, eight species of vulnerable and 11 species of near threatened birds which have been documented with sufficient data. Goa harbors a good population of the vulnerable Lesser Adjutant and Nilgiri Wood-pigeon in certain pockets of the State apart from the identified IBAs.” Pronoy too is one of the contributors of the Goa chapter in the new book.
IBAs are sites of international significance for conservation of birds and their habitats at the global, regional and local level. The selection of IBAs is a particularly effective way of identifying conservation priorities. IBAs are key sites for conservation small enough to be conserved in their entirety and often already part of a protected area network.
However, adds Pronoy, declaring an area as IBA does not ensure that the site gets legal protection or becomes inaccessible to people. “Instead BirdLife International encourages national and state governments to recognize IBAs as sites of vital importance for conservation of wildlife and adopt them within the existing policy and management framework especially if they are already in protected areas and to empower local community based conservation initiatives in areas outside protected areas to provide natural resource dependent groups to participate in local decision- making,” he adds.
