BINDU K B, Assistant Professor on Contract,
Department of Geography, Kannur University, Kerala, India.
Abstract: Kerala is known for its world famous bird watching places which are conserved as Bird Sanctuaries. Munderikadavu Bird Sanctuary which is the fourth proposed bird sanctuary in Kerala and is known for its wide diversity of migratory and local bird species. This sanctuary is a part of Kattampally river catchment area which is located in the lowland area of Valappattanam river basin. The swampy area and adjoining paddy fields creates a sustainable natural habitat for the migratory birds. It is estimated that during the period of November to February large number of migratory birds visit this place and hence this attracts large number of bird watchers towards this place. Considering the importance of this Bird Sanctuary in 2012 Government of Kerala declared this area as a ecotourism spot and sanctioned project of Rs 75 lakhs for its development. But till now no work is carried out in this regard. There are various anthropogenic factors which play key role in deterioration of Munderikadavu Bird Sanctuary. The present research work is carried out to evaluate the anthropogenic factors and their impact on the environmental stability of the study area. The study based on schedule survey and field visit derived evidences and quantitative data which were analyzed using photo analysis and weighted ranking method. Among the identified anthropogenic factors, expansion of buildup area; transportation; economic and social factors are high risk imposing factors. This research work can be utilized for framing sustainable development plan for conserving Munderikadavu Bird Sanctuary.