Vembanad Lake Mangrove Ecology and Wetland Conservation

Vembanad Lake, the largest wetland in Kerala spanning Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts, is a Ramsar-designated wetland of international importance. The lake's margins support mangrove forests that serve as nursery habitat for fish and prawns, buffer coastal erosion, and filter agricultural runoff from the Kuttanad paddy fields. Key mangrove species include Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia officinalis, and Acanthus ilicifolius. Traditional fishing communities have preserved specific mangrove zones from cutting, recognising them as critical breeding grounds for the fish species they depend on. The Kerala State Wetland Authority coordinates mangrove restoration programmes, planting over 100,000 propagules annually in degraded areas of the lake margin.