Odisha, a state in south-southeast coast of India, has mangroves in about 24,300 hectares. The Bhitarkanika mangroves, which is the major mangrove wetland of Odisha, occupies an area of about 15000 hectares and has been thereby declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary. Among the Indian mangroves, the highest diversity of mangrove plants occurs in the Bhitarkanika and hence, it has been identified as one of the important mangrove genetic resource centres of the world.  

The mangroves in Bhitarkanika proved to be the saviour for people of Jagatsinghpur when a massive cyclone swept Odisha, catching the state machinery unawares by its severity, in 1999.

According to a report by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, the mangroves saved 0.0148 lives per hectare during the cyclone.

The mangrove wetlands in Bhitarkanika spread across 145 square km, is listed in the Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention 1971 (certified by UNESCO in 1994) for its invaluable ecosystem.

The most important function of wetlands is that it refills, recharges and filters groundwater which is the basic source of drinking water in urban areas. The mangrove wetlands prevent flood and prevent extreme damages during a cyclone or flood.

Here’s a video by the Ramsar site explaining the role of wetlands in our ecosystem:

https://youtu.be/v3GXlESxaR4