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PROJECT 1

Salem Annual Wetlands Survey

A Citizen Science event to track the health of
wetlands in Salem District

Citizen Science

Community Participation for better conservation

The Salem Annual Wetlands Survey (SAWS) is a citizen science event initiated by the Salem Ornithological Foundation.
The programme aims to track the status and health of the waterbodies in Salem District from 01 to 31 January of each year. A total of 350+ wetlands have been documented so far and 100 ecologically significant wetlands are monitored annually.

Objectives:

To monitor the health of wetlands and their overall bird populations.

To assess the status of resident and migratory waterbirds and their habitats.

To educate and raise awareness about the values and importance of wetlands.

To advocate the inclusion of wetland conservation into local governance policies.

To apply the wise use principles and guidelines of the Ramsar Convention.
Year No. of Wetlands
Surveyed		 No. of Bird Species
Recorded		 Total No. of
Birds Counted		 Funding
2020
52
120
9,872
None
2021
265
169
25,485
None
2022
327
165
34,072
ACSEN
2023*
23
117
9,859
None
2024
134
170
22,865
None
2025
114
159
19,860
WINGS
2026
104
157
23,028
WINGS
2027
upcoming
*only in Attur Division. We were not able to survey additional wetlands in January 2023 due to both personal and professional reasons.