Why Wetlands Matter- An Ecological Analysis of Waste and Resource Management of The East Calcutta Wetlands as A Model to Address Systemic Challenges in Informal Amphibious Communities
Calcutta, the city I grew up in, is home to an innovative and organic sewage treatment –The East Calcutta Wetlands (ECW). Ecological processes, such as bioremediation, in these wetlands process the wastewater of a mega city with more than 15 million people. Additional ecological benefits support a thriving agriculture, and aquaculture sector, a rich biodiversity, flood management and provides employment to over 100,000 people.
Wetlands are incredible ecosystems that have a wide tolerance to water fluctuations, support a rich biodiversity, a complex food web, natural sink for sequestered carbon, facilitate bioremediation – cleaning toxic pathogens from our environment, among numerous other ecological functions.
In my capstone, I will analyze the systems and processes of the ECW through the lens of Landscape Ecology and frame design guidelines for ecological wastewater management. I will apply the design guidelines to informal amphibious communities situated in distinct wetland ecosystem types, in Iquitos, Peru (a riverine floodplain) and Makoko, Nigeria (coastal lagoon), to take advantage of stacked ecological benefits. The ECW are an example of the wonders that wetlands are and a reminder that ecological design potentially hold economic and more sustainable alternatives to wastewater treatment while providing additional ecosystem services that support human and ecological health.
Advisors/Committee
