The Caryapundy swamp in Australia is being listed in the Ramsar convention agreement by the Government of New South Wales recently (The Statesman, 2021). As reported by the Xinhua news agency, this swamp is now considered one of the most important protected sites. It has added extra 700 sq km in the total area of the wetlands in Australia. The wetlands occur naturally and are important for the conservation of the environment and establishing nature reserves for ultimately maintaining biodiversity (Gaget, et al., 2020).

The Australian government have admitted that this newly added wetland is the breeding site and is playing critical roles in the survival of Australasian Shoveler, Red-necked avocet and Grey teal. These creatures are using this large wetland as a drought refuge. Locating in a major basin, surrounding the Caryapundy, this swamp is doing the work of capturing the flood water very easily and rapidly, and the water can be rerouted to the reservoirs or can be used in agricultures (The Statesman, 2021). It has been reported that around 100,000 birds take shelter in this wetland during floods. Thus, this swamp is working as a stop-off point for the migratory birds in winter who are flying to South Australia. The nomination of this swamp as an important protected site is a collaboration between the commonwealth and NSW, along with the consultation with the aboriginal stakeholders and owners.

References

Gaget, E., Le Viol, I., Pavón-Jordán, D., Cazalis, V., Kerbiriou, C., Jiguet, F., & Galewski, T. (2020). Assessing the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention in preserving wintering waterbirds in the Mediterranean. Biological Conservation, 243, 108485. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0006320719315332

The Statesman. (2021). Retrieved from https://epaper.thestatesman.com/3325316/Kolkata-The-Statesman/20-TH-DECEMBER-2021#page/10/2