ABSTRACT
Saline lakes of arid zone are of considerable economic, ecological, and scientific values besides being a fragile ecosystem. Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan, a “Wetland of International Importance” and a “Ramsar Site” is struggling with an array of conservation threats like siltation and disturbances in the lake bed, excessive resource-utilization and unsustainable development causing a massive shrinkage of the water sheet. Maximizing economic benefit by the market force is proving death knell for the survival of this Ramsar Site. An initiative taken for saving this ancient flamingo habitat through the community conservation approach, by forming biodiversity management committees (BMCs) and maintaining people’s biodiversity registers (PBRs) in accordance to Biodiversity Act, 2002 (India) and the community mobilization by Communication, Education, Public Awareness (CEPA) CBD toolkit shall prove to be the best alternative in finding out a sustainable solution.
