KBA Profile: Valapattanam River
National Site Name Valapattanam River
English Name
KBA delineation Catchment
Focal area delineation Yes - Stream catchments in the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary and Brahmagiri National Park.
The Valapattanam River originates in the western slopes of the Brahmagiri Hills, Western Ghats. Its southern tributaries flows through Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (also an IBA) and Brahmagiri National Park. All the rivers upper tributary catchments are covered with evergreen forest and Site description Shola grasslands which are degraded in some areas. The river then flows through townships, rice paddies and rubber and cashew plantations before reaching the lower river, backwaters and estuary which it shares with the Kuppam and Peruvamba river (which are included in the Madayi Laterite Plateau KBA).
Management required at Yes catchment scale
Management required at focal Yes area within catchment
KBA Trigger Species
Group Species Criterion1 Criterion2 Criterion3 Notes
Carinotetraodon Fishes VU NA NA travancoricus
Puntius Fishes EN 15714.06176 NA denisonii
Odonata Euphaea dispar NA 24731.42411 NA
Macrogomphus Odonata NA 26655.61097 NA wynaadicus
Macromia Odonata NA 21325.4282 NA bellicosa Microgomphus Odonata NA 15446.40247 NA souteri
Phylloneura Odonata NA 41554.26134 NA westermanni
Platysticta Odonata VU 29167.59293 NA deccanensis
Protosticta Odonata NA 40533.40822 NA hearseyi
Dimeria Plants EN NA NA hohenackeri
Farmeria Plants VU NA NA metzgerioides
Nymphoides Plants EN NA NA krishnakesara
Will qualify for RR as known only from hill stream of Glyptothorax Fishes NA NA NA Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (Urutty Stream, malabarensis Valapattanam River drainage
New information shows the species also occurs in this KBA (previously only known from its type locality in Caridina Shrimp NA NA NA Karnataka). Will be RR (Criteria 2) only known from the gurneyi type locality (DD), the river Malaprabha at Khanapur, Karnataka (India).
Protected Areas Overlap with KBA
Name Designation Desig. Type Status PA Management Focus
Aralam Sanctuary National Designated No freshwater biodiversity management focus
Brahmagiri National Park National Proposed No freshwater biodiversity management focus
Western Ghats World Heritage Site International Inscribed No freshwater biodiversity management focus Potential KBA Stakeholders*
Society for Environmental Education in Kerala
Malabar Natural History Society
Coorg Wildlife Society
Center for Water Resources Development and Management
Kerala Forest Department
Center for Environment and Development
Karnataka Forest Department
Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre
KBA Freshwater Habitats
5.1 Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks(includes waterfalls)
5.2 Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks
5.4 Bogs Marshes Swamps Fens Peatlands[generally over 8ha]
5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
5.8 Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
5.9 Freshwater Springs and Oases
5.14 Permanent Saline Brackish or Alkaline Lakes
5.16 Permanent Saline Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools
5.18 Karst and Other Subterranean Inland Aquatic Systems
9.10 Estuaries
12.7 Mangrove Submerged Roots
15.1 Water Storage Areas(over 8ha) 15.2 Ponds(below 8ha)
Threats to KBA
Threats (IUCN Classification Scheme) Notes
1.1 Housing & urban areas
1.2 Commercial & industrial areas
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
2.4 Marine & freshwater aquaculture
3.2 Mining & quarrying Sand mining and laterite quaries
5.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources For ornamental fish (Sahyadria denisonii)
7.2 Dams & water management/use There are many small hydroelectric projects in the streams in the catchment
8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water
9.2 Industrial & military effluents
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents
Conservation actions for KBA
Conservation actions (IUCN In Needed Notes Classification Scheme) place
1.1 Site/area protection Yes Focal areas
Sand habitat needs protection from mining in entire catchment; 1.2 Resource & habitat protection Yes mangroves; laterite hills
2.1 Site/area management Yes 2.2 Invasive/problematic species Yes control
2.3 Habitat & natural process Yes River bank restoration throughout catchment restoration
3.1 Species management Yes For S. denisonii and other ornamental fishes that are overharvested
4.1 Formal education Yes Panchyats, Forest Department on restoration
4.2 Training Yes Panchyats, Forest Department on restoration
4.3 Awareness & communications Yes For all stakeholders
5.2 Policies and regulations Yes
5.3 Private sector standards & Yes sandmining, quarying & dams codes
Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act 2010 5.4 Compliance and enforcement Yes & Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
Food Security
Used for food security Score Notes
1. Subsistence
Optional/alternative 2
Essential staple 3
Emergency 1
2. Commercial
Local 3
Regional 2
National 1
3.Migrant fishers 2 Notes Brackish and freshwater; many different groups. A 'Key Food Security Area'
Other
Caridina chauhani (fw shrimp) is also found here. The site also contains a number of Western Ghats endemic Other biodiversity species of birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
Protected areas overview
1. River Research Centre. 2013. Report on Monitoring of Fish Diversity of Rivers in Kerala. Kerala State References Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram. 98 pp.;
Ali, A., Amitha Bachan, K.H., Anatha, L., Dahanukar, N., Jayachandran, K.V., Molur, S., Nameer, P.O., Acknowledgments Raghavan, R., Subbramanian, K.A., Rehel, S.M. and Vinod, T.R.
* Potential KBA stakeholders have not been contacted in any official capacity nor have they endorsed the KBA – they are a list of potential stakeholders to inform any organisation or individual who may want to undertake conservation activities on freshwater biodiversity in this KBA