Long-Term Assessment of Wetland Health through Avifaunal Responses to Climate Variability in Selected Wetlands of Tamil Nadu (2013–2020): Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 13, 14 and 15

Year : 2026 | Volume : 03 | Issue : 02 | Page : 25 32
By

Prashanthi Devi Marimuthu,

Arunpandiyan Murugesan,

Aarthi Mariappan,

Rajakumar Sundaram,

  1. Professor and Head, Department of Environmental Science and Management, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
  2. Research Scholar, Department of Environmental Science and Management, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
  3. Freelance Researcher, Department of Environmental Science and Management, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
  4. Associate Professor and Head, Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Wetlands are critical habitats for resident and migratory birds and are sensitive to changes in water availability, habitat condition and climatic variability, making avifaunal responses a valuable proxy for assessing overall wetland health. This study used long-term (2013–2020) avifaunal diversity and abundance as indicators of wetland health across four ecologically contrasting Tamil Nadu wetlands which are Pallikaranai Marshland (urban), Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (freshwater breeding colony), Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary (inland freshwater) and Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (coastal) in relation to temperature and rainfall. All four sites showed positive long-term trends, but abundance patterns and climatic sensitivity were markedly site-specific: Vedanthangal sustained consistently high counts, Point Calimere showed pronounced migration-driven inter-annual fluctuation, Karaivetti increased gradually, and Pallikaranai remained persistently low. Temperature showed limited variation and weak predictive value for bird abundance at all sites, while rainfall showed complex, often lagged, site-specific relationships. The results indicate that wetland habitat characteristics and hydrology, together with climatic variability, jointly govern avifaunal abundance and, by extension, wetland health, and that long-term multi-site monitoring is essential for effective wetland bird conservation in Tamil Nadu. These findings carry direct implications for the Sustainable Development Goals, informing water-related ecosystem protection under SDG 6, climate-responsive monitoring under SDG 13, coastal and marine-linked habitat conservation under SDG 14, and terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity protection under SDG 15.

Keywords: Avifaunal diversity, wetland health, wetlands, migratory birds, bird abundance, climate variability, rainfall, sustainable development goals, SDG 6, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15, Tamil Nadu, point calimere, vedanthangal, pallikaranai, karaivetti

[This article belongs to International Journal of Climate Conditions ]

How to cite this article: Prashanthi Devi Marimuthu, Arunpandiyan Murugesan, Aarthi Mariappan, Rajakumar Sundaram. Long-Term Assessment of Wetland Health through Avifaunal Responses to Climate Variability in Selected Wetlands of Tamil Nadu (2013–2020): Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 13, 14 and 15. International Journal of Climate Conditions. 2026; 03(02):25-32.
How to cite this URL: Prashanthi Devi Marimuthu, Arunpandiyan Murugesan, Aarthi Mariappan, Rajakumar Sundaram. Long-Term Assessment of Wetland Health through Avifaunal Responses to Climate Variability in Selected Wetlands of Tamil Nadu (2013–2020): Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 13, 14 and 15. International Journal of Climate Conditions. 2026; 03(02):25-32. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijcc/article=2026/view=261036

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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 03
Issue 02
Received 21/08/2026
Accepted 02/09/2026
Published 03/09/2026
Publication Time 13 Days

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