Threats and Opportunities of Ecosystem Services: A Geographical Study of Purbasthali Oxbow Lake

Natural wetlands are most productive and most threatened ecosystems on the Earth’s surface. They provide various ecosystem services beneficial for the local environment and economy. The Purbasthali Oxbow Lake, a palaeochannel of the Bhagirathi, is considered as the case for investigation. This paper attempts to examine the instrumental forces responsible for the deterioration of the ecosystem and the possible measures to be adopted for sustainable utilisation of the ecosystem services by using SWOT analysis. Reduction of surface area and increasing turbid zones has been identified by GIS environment. Ecosystem services like flood control, groundwater recharge, the habitat of biota along with the direct use of the oxbow lake by nearby people in eleven ways have been identified. Human intervention in forms of agricultural expansion, the establishment of brick kilns, illegal trapping and hunting of birds pose serious threats to the health of the lake ecosystem. Present Strength and Weakness and probable Opportunities and Threats associated with the ecosystem services have been identified and sustainable alternatives have been formulated for future development of the area. It can be concluded that despite the various threats posed by the human population, the wetland still has the potentialities to extend various future benefits to the nearby social groups.