Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve
- Country:India
- Site number:2496
- Area:801.8 ha
- Designation date:08-06-2022
- Coordinates:34°14'N 74°31'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Overview
The Hygam wetland lies downstream of another Ramsar Site (Wular Lake, Site no.461), with which it is connected, and forms an important site for biodiversity conservation. It lies on the Central Asian Flyway and over 40,000 migratory and resident bird species have been recorded annually. The wetland also supports mammals, amphibians, and fish including Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and common pochard (Aythya ferina). The wetland is located within the Jhelum river basin and plays a significant role in flood control, aquifer recharge, and regulating water flow of the Wular Lake. This wetland provides local communities with a range of “ecosystem services”, providing fish, wood and clean water, and regulating the local climate. However, it is increasingly threatened by continuous siltation, willow plantations and nutrient accumulation. To tackle these issues, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has been implementing an integrated management action plan since 2002.
Administrative region:
The wetland is 40 km from Srinagar, the UT summer capital and located in district Baramulla (34015'N, 74031’E) of Jammu & Kashmir on the flood plains of river Jhelum at an altitudinal height of 1580 m asl.
- National legal designation:
- Wildlife Conservation Reserve - Hygam Wetland Reserve
- Last publication date:31-10-2022
Downloads
Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)
Site map
Additional reports and documents
- Taxonomic lists of plant and animal species occurring in the site
- A description of the site in a national or regional wetland inventory
- Site management plan
- Other published literature