KBA Profile: Kole Wetlands National Site Name Kole Wetlands English Name KBA delineation Focal area delineation Site description Management required at catchment scale Management required at focal area within catchment Catchment - Three wetland fragments; the Maranchery Wetlands, Enamavu Wetlands, Thommana Wetlands The Kole wetlands (a Ramsar site and IBA) are below sea level and were once a contiguous wetland in central Kerala. Now due to land reclamation for urban areas the wetlands are restricted to a few areas. These wetland fragments are now connected by a canal and seasonally used for rice cultivation. The rivers that feed the wetlands include Karuvannur, Kecheri and the Puzhakal, and their upperr catchments are forested and designated as the Peechi-Vazhani and Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuaries (both are also IBAs). The area contains subterranean habitats that are important habitats for some frehswater fish species which are endemic to this habitat type in the southern Western Ghats (e.g. Horaglanis alikunhii). KBA Trigger Species Group Species Criterion1 Criterion2 Criterion3 Notes Crabs Oziothelphusa biloba VU 3535.109257 NA Fishes Carinotetraodon travancoricus VU NA NA Fishes Horabagrus brachysoma VU NA NA Fishes Horaglanis alikunhii NA 5044.776749 NA Fishes Pseudosphromenus dayi VU 16673.51639 NA Fishes Puntius assimilis VU NA NA
Fishes Puntius mahecola NA 16651.9995 NA Plants Dimeria hohenackeri EN NA NA Plants Farmeria metzgerioides VU NA NA Plants Fimbristylis dauciformis EN NA NA Plants Lindernia manilaliana EN 8074.897107 NA Fishes Laubuca fasciata VU NA NA Protected Areas Overlap with KBA Name Designation Desig. Type Status PA Management Focus Peechi-Vazhani Sanctuary National Designated No freshwater biodiveristy management Parambikulam (extension) Sanctuary National Proposed No freshwater biodiveristy management Chimmony Sanctuary ADD - No freshwaterr biodiversity focus Potential KBA Stakeholders* CWS, Kerala Agricultural University Kole Karshaga Sangham Dept of Agriculture Dept of Fisheries Kole Land Development Corporation Kerala Forest Research Institute Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre
KBA Freshwater Habitats 5.1 Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks(includes waterfalls) 5.2 Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks 5.3 Shrub Dominated Wetlands 5.4 Bogs Marshes Swamps Fens Peatlands[generally over 8ha] 5.5 Permanent Freshwater Lakes(over 8ha) 5.6 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes(over 8ha) 5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha) 5.8 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha) 5.17 Seasonal/Intermittent Saline Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools 5.18 Karst and Other Subterranean Inland Aquatic Systems 9.10 Estuaries 15.1 Water Storage Areas(over 8ha) Threats to KBA Threats (IUCN Classification Scheme) Notes 1.1 Housing & urban areas 1.2 Commercial & industrial areas 1.3 Tourism & recreation areas 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops 2.3 Livestock farming & ranching 2.4 Marine & freshwater aquaculture
3.2 Mining & quarrying Sand and clay mining, granite quarry 5.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources Fishes 7.2 Dams & water management/use Dams (large and small) 7.3 Other ecosystem modifications reclamation of kole wetlands 8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Fish 9.1 Domestic & urban waste water 9.2 Industrial & military effluents 9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents 9.4 Garbage & solid waste Conservation actions for KBA Conservation actions (IUCN Classification Scheme) In place Needed Notes 1.1 Site/area protection Focal areas (remaining wetlands) and the subterranean systems 1.2 Resource & habitat protection Focal areas (remaining wetlands) and the subterranean systems 2.1 Site/area management catchment and at focal areas 2.2 Invasive/problematic species control 2.3 Habitat & natural process restoration Flow restoration and river bank restoration of the main rivers (Karuvannur and Kecheri) that feed the Kole wetlands 3.1 Species management For the subterranean species, harvest management of indigenous fish species during breeding season, replacement of non-nartive species with native species for aquaculture. 4.1 Formal education Local Self Governance Agencies
4.2 Training Fishermen 4.3 Awareness & communications 5.1 Legislation 5.3 Private sector standards & codes 5.4 Compliance and enforcement All stakeholders Mining and real estate developers Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act 2010 & Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974. Food Security Used for food security Score Notes 1. Subsistence Optional/alternative 1 Essential staple 2 Emergency 0 2. Commercial Local 2 Regional 2 National 0 3.Migrant fishers 0 Notes More many groups Other Other biodiversity Dario urops (newly described fish species) & Acanthocobitis sinuatus (new fish species, resurrected name) two restricted range species. The laterite subterranean systems are also important areas for many invertebrates
(e.g. shrimps and copepods) wirh many possible endemic species. Protected areas overview References Acknowledgments 1. River Research Centre. 2013. Report on Monitoring of Fish Diversity of Rivers in Kerala. Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram. 98 pp Ali, A., Amitha Bachan, K.H., Anatha, L., Dahanukar, N., Jayachandran, K.V., Molur, S., Nameer, P.O., Raghavan, R., Subbramanian, K.A., Rehel, S.M. and Vinod, T.R. * Potential KBA stakeholders have not been contacted in any official capacity nor have they endorsed the KBA they are a list of potential stakeholders to inform any organisation or individual who may want to undertake conservation activities on freshwater biodiversity in this KBA