Meghalaya Forest & Environment Department through the office of the Divisional Forest Officer, Khasi Hills Wildlife Division Shillong in Collaboration with The Meghalaya Biodiversity Board has on 2nd February, 2024 organised and conducted Asian Waterbird Census, 2024 simultaneously at Umsaw, Umbir, Umniuh, Mawlyndep & Umiam covering the wetland areas of Umiam Lake, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya with the support and guidance from professionals.
H. Lato, IFS, DFO Social Forestry Division, Shri. M. Kharsyntiew, MFS, Assistant Conservator of Forests, from NGO’s like Aaranyak Shri (Dr.) Dipankar Lahkar and Pranjal Deka, experts from Meghalaya Biodiversity Board Smti. (Dr) E. Khongwir and (Dr.) S. Dey also participated in the programme.
The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC). This citizen-science programme supporting the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide is done yearly between the months of January and February, wherein, volunteers across Asia and Australasia visit wetlands in their country and count waterbirds. It works in partnership with many existing national waterbird census programmes.
During the exercise about 155 numbers of water birds comprising of 13 species.
This day is also celebrated throughout the world as “World Wetland Day ” and the census was carried out to also commemorate this day to protect and preserve the pristine wetlands which acts as a habitat for these avian life every year during their migration period.
Through the Exercise it has been observed that the Umiam Wetland acts as an important habitat for these avian life.