The Indian Skimmer has disappeared from most of its historic range amid large-scale degradation of riverine habitats. India, which now holds more than 90% of the global breeding population, is the only hope to prevent the species from extinction.

WORSHIPPED RIVERS

Flowing through dramatic landscapes of deep ravines, the Chambal, Yamuna, and Ganga are among India’s most sacred rivers. Between them they cover thousands of kilometres from their sources in the mountains to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. They play a vital role in religious and cultural practices, including an annual pilgrimage in Prayagraj city at the confluence of Yamuna and Ganga – home to Praveen’s project site and Endangered Indian Skimmers. The rivers are a lifeline to millions of people and many species who depend on them. However, pressure from human disturbance, boat traffic, sand mining and pollution has drastically degraded these rivers, threatening the delicate ecosystem.

A RIVERINE EXPERT

True to their name, Skimmers fly low over water slicing the surface with their bright orange bill to catch fish. Fully dependent on the riverine ecosystem, the Skimmer is an indicator of a healthy river. Once widely distributed across Southeast Asia, due to human disturbance they have been lost from most of their historic range. The wide sandy rivers that the species depends on for breeding are either dammed by hydroelectric projects or under pressure from sand mining, pollution and overfishing. Skimmers lay their eggs in small depressions on temporary sandbars mid-river. The surrounding water is usually a natural barrier to the sandbar but a reduction in water levels has left Skimmer eggs and chicks more vulnerable to cattle herders and predators such as dogs and jackals.

THE SKIMMER’S GUARDIANS

Praveen’s project has already built a powerful network of over 30 trained community members who actively guard the vulnerable Skimmer nests. Protecting nests requires real time monitoring through GPS mapping and systematic data collection for rapid response, and close coordination with local communities. The guardian programme provides employment opportunities in marginalised communities who have been historically dependent on agriculture and livestock. Guardians are already seeing success with the remarkable recovery of the Indian Skimmer on the Chambal River where populations have increased by 150% to nearly 1,000 individuals in just eight years. By replicating this approach in key sites around Prayagraj city, alongside increasing stakeholder engagement and building artificial nesting platforms at Chambal, there is hope that the Indian Skimmer can thrive in the region once again.

With the Whitley Award, Parveen and her team will:

• Monitor riverine bird nests to record hatchling survival and identify vulnerable sandbars
• Train community guardians to protect nesting sandbars from predators, trampling and human disturbance
• Strengthen community, youth and government engagement and increase local advocacy for river conservation
• Trial artificial nesting platforms for riverine birds to improve nesting success

“Healthy rivers support biodiversity, food security, and millions of livelihoods. Protecting and restoring them is not optional, it is essential for both ecological and human resilience.”

Image credits: Viraj Athalye (Banner, Youtube cover), Sajal Sharma (Drone of riverbank)