BENGALURU: Aghanashini Estuary is not just vital for the ecological value that it accounts for, but also for its economic value.
The unique rice variety produced by farmers and fishermen in the region now has unique features.
In the report, Wise Use of Aghanashini Estuary: Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), suggested that a GI-tag be given to the Kagga, the unique salt-tolerant rice variety grown in the Ramsar site.
The study pointed out that the estuarine rice fields, the gaznis, have an estimated 230–350 tonnes per hectare of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in the top one metre.
Cultivation of Kagga, which is also a regional speciality, in the estuarine rice fields has been a major occupation in the estuarine villages for generations.
The researchers in the report noted that the increasing trend for auctioning the flooded gGaznirice fields for fishery rights has alienated traditional fishermen from the system, paving the way for the arrival of contractors.
They also noted that farmers are now losing interest in Kagga farming due to increased flooding with saltwater tides and the risks involved. The teams conducted the study to cater to the need the state forest department.
The study, conducted in 2025, was recently submitted to the department for implementation, said Prof TV Ramachandra from CES, IISc, co-author of the study of the report.
A senior forest department official said: "The report is before the state government for assessment and implementation."
It has come at a time when UNESCO has directed the state government to undertake stringent measures for the protection and conservation of the region.
The report also stated that the Kagal gazni, without even a single mangrove tree, has almost 1130 tons/ha SOC, comparable with some of the best mangrove areas of the equatorial region.
"The other two gaznis, where the soil was analysed, l revealed 420 tons of SOC per hectare in Bridge gazni and about 590 tons/ha in the Manikatta gazni. This is the first time that we have been able to unravel the fact that the currently neglected estuarine rice fields can, if their traditional cultivation system is restored, make a tremendous contribution towards more sequestration of SOC (in addition to biomass carbon) and provide without any additional human input, food security of a rare kind in terms of the very nutritious Kagga rice, which is currently on the verge of extinction," Ramachandra said.
The study reported that monitoring of the Aghanashini estuary needs to address the interrelated requirements of wetland inventory and management through a robust decision support system, an integrated Wetland Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring System (WIAMS) for addressing the overall information needs of wetland management.
The study stressed that the management planning for the Aghanashini estuary should be structured around five components: institutions and governance; catchment and water management; biodiversity conservation; and sustainable resource development and livelihoods.
"There is also an urgent need for the establishment of Aghanashini Estuary Conservation and Management Authority to ensure coordinated action and enforcement of regulatory arrangements for conservation and wise use of the wetland, integrating all other components like fisheries, tourism, polyculture, getting GI-Tag for Kagga and others," Ramanchandra said.