Abstract
Identifying, assessing, and addressing threats are vital elements in the management plan formulation of a protected area. Loktak Lake, a Ramsar Wetland of international importance placed under the Montreux Record since 1993, exemplifies this need. The study focuses on 11 direct threats in Loktak Lake based on a standard classification nomenclature by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three different parameters (scope, severity and magnitude) were assessed using a rating scale from four stakeholder groups (Government Departments, Experts, Community Based Organizations and Fisherman Community). Eight of these direct threats were prioritised based on high ratings in the assessment among which the absence of fishing bans, the inflow of municipal waste and the maintenance of the water level by Ithai Barrage showed significant differences in threat perception among stakeholders. The study also showed the resource conflicts underpinning some of the highly ranked threats such as encroachment in peripheral areas and absence of fishing bans. The heterogeneity in stakeholder groups and their select dependence on resource use explains the significant differences observed in the prioritisation of the threats. The study demonstrated the use of threat ranking as an efficient method for management plan formulation in a conservation site. It also highlighted the urgent need to address the gaps observed in the management plans with regard to present management interventions. It is envisaged that an analysis of threat perceptions among different stakeholders will help decision-making in lake management in light of its inclusion in the Montreux Record.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Loktak Development Authority (LDA), Government of Manipur (GoM), State Forest Department, GoM, R.K Birjit (Honorary Wildlife Warden), local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and people of Loktak Lake for the guidance and assistance that made this pursuit successful. We thank the anonymous reviewers for the constructive feedback and valuable suggestions that have contributed to improving the quality of the paper.
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JP (Jayalakshmi Paonam) and SC (Sudipta Chatterjee) conceived of the presented idea. Both contributed to the structure of manuscript. JP collected the data, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. All authors aided in editing of manuscript, interpreting and discussing the result.
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Paonam, J., Chatterjee, S. Threat Perception of Stakeholders: Case study of Loktak Lake, a Ramsar Site under Montreux Record in North East India. Wetlands 42, 114 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01630-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01630-x