Unravelling blue landscape fragmentation effects on ecosystem services in urban agglomerations

Abstract

The blue landscape (BL), which refers to the wetlands, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, is of immense importance for a sustainable environment. It provides a variety of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, water purification, soil fertility, and habitat for diverse flora and fauna. These services are crucial for sustaining the livelihoods of local communities and maintaining the health of the environment. In megacities like Kolkata, India, the BL is often subjected to fragmentation and degradation due to rapid urbanisation, industrialization, and other human activities. This has serious implications for ecosystem services and the overall health of the environment. This study is intended to value ecosystem service losses over the last 25 years and assess the influence of blue landscape fragmentation on ecosystem services in Kolkata, India. To accomplish this goal, satellite data was collected from 1994 to 2019 for both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The results of the study showed that significant losses in ecosystem services were observed over this time period, primarily due to the decline of the East Kolkata Wetland and its conversion for settlement and agricultural purposes. Despite the existence of some policies aimed at protecting the wetland, more robust restrictions and remedial strategies are required to conserve and restore the blue landscape in Kolkata. This work adds to the corpus of research on the value of blue landscapes (BLs) and the environmental services they provide. The findings of this study highlight the need for increased attention to the conservation and management of BLs in India and provide a valuable foundation for future research and policy development. Furthermore, this research introduces the innovative concept of urban BLs as a nature-based framework for understanding urban landscape fragmentation, a novel contribution that fills a gap in the existing literature on this topic.