| Summary: | Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that deliver essential ecological and socio-economic services, including flood regulation, water purification, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and livelihood support. Despite their importance, wetlands worldwide have suffered extensive degradation due to land-use change and urbanization. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was established to promote the “wise use” and conservation of wetlands, with India emerging as a key participant, hosting 94 Ramsar sites as of 2025. Among these, the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) represent a globally unique socio-ecological system and the world’s largest functioning wastewater-fed aquaculture landscape. Spanning about 12,500 hectares, the EKW integrates natural wastewater treatment with aquaculture and agriculture, supporting around 150,000 residents and delivering significant economic and environmental benefits to Kolkata. The system efficiently recycles nutrients, regulates floods, reduces carbon emissions, and sustains diverse livelihoods. However, the EKW faces mounting pressures from urban expansion, land-use change, pollution, and contamination risks, resulting in a steady decline in wetland area. While existing research documents its ecological productivity, governance, and livelihood functions, it remains fragmented. This study addresses this gap through a qualitative aquaculture value chain analysis, examining how ecological, economic, and institutional dynamics interact among diverse stakeholders to sustain—or challenge—the long-term resilience of the EKW.
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