Conservation Challenges
Keoladeo national Park is a very dynamic and fragile ecosystem. It is a man modified system and requires intervention in the form of well thought out management intervention, including continuous water management, habitat management, weed management and people management.
- Inaccessibility to sufficient amounts of water
The water holding capacity of the wetland extending over 12 sq. km area is around 500 Million cu. ft. In early 2003, with the increase in height of the Panchna Dam, on the Gambhiri River 130 kms upstream of the Park, requisite amounts of water have not been released to the Park in over 5 years. This river was the only sustained source of water to the Park, and therefore since it has been running dry, the survival of the Park is at stake if recent drought conditions continue. - Invasive Plant species
The paucity of water is compounded by the invasion by weeds in the wetland. Due to the lack of cyclicity of the water regime in this wetland, ecological succession is taking over, and the Park is predominated by invasive weeds. Prosopis juliflora has propagated and taken over most of the wetland and managing it is one of the greatest challenges. - People-Park Conflict
The lack of support from the surrounding villages as well as the villages on the Ghambiri basin have been the biggest threats to the park from the outside. While the internal threats can still be managed well, external lack of support is a big challenge, it needs a perceptional change and clear incentives at the local level. - Lack of policy support at the State-level
Institutional and policy support for such a man-made wetland is crucial for its survival, especially when the bigger threats are external rather than internal. The fact that the Park does not get its share of requisite water from the river is primarily because of inadequate political will at the state level.
Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.
Spotted Owlet