Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services using RAWES Approach: A Case Study of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

Urban wetlands are important for sustaining and maintaining ecological balance and human well-being. This study applied the Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES) approach to assess the ecosystem services provided by 38 urban wetlands located within urban settlements of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. The assessment of urban wetlands was conducted during 2025, and classified ecosystem services into provisioning, cultural, regulating and supporting groups. Result showed that among provisioning services fresh water (++ = 11) and food (++ = 12) showed the significant positive contributions. Regulating services like air quality (+ = 24) and climate regulation (+ = 24) showed positive contributions whereas services such as pest regulation (- = 26), disease control (- = 21) and nutrient cycling showed negative contributions mainly because of degradation or pollution. Cultural services such as recreation and tourism (++ = 4) showed positive contributions whereas, spiritual and educational services showed limited benefits. Vegetation analysis showed the dominance of ecologically and culturally important tree species such as, Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica. The ecosystem service index was used for quantification of the services and to highlight the need for better conservation strategies. The RAWES framework is a participatory tool used for identifying, quantifying and supporting the conservation of urban wetlands.