The degradation of wetlands has emerged as a major factor worsening floods in Assam by disrupting the natural hydrological connectivity between rivers and floodplains. At Panidihing Bird Sanctuary in Sivasagar, the Brahmaputra, Desang, and Demow rivers once sustained an interconnected wetland ecosystem.
A study found that the sanctuary’s wetlands shrank to 15 wetlands covering only 0.82 sq km by 2021, while the flooded area declined from 18.9 sq km in 2001 to 5.9 sq km in 2021, indicating a weakened floodplain ecosystem and reduced water retention capacity.
APSC Relevance: Environment; Disaster Management.
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