The myths and magic of wetlands in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

As World Wetlands Day approached – held every year on 2 February – we found ourselves reflecting on wetlands we had visited, studied, and cherished. As landscape researchers and practitioners, we have to hand some figures about wetlands in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, but numbers do not tell the complete story.

Wetlands are also spaces of myth and magic. They feature in creation stories and legends, and are revered for their role in sustaining lives and livelihoods. From sacred lakes to floating islands, from a wish-fulfilling lake to life-giving floodplains, wetlands are invaluable intangible cultural heritage. We feel that highlighting the ecological and cultural values of wetlands is truly needed in these rapidly changing times.

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