St Xavier’s College will introduce a multi-disciplinary course for undergraduate students in wetlands ecology and conservation.

Principal Father Dominic Savio said the one-semester course — aimed at protecting the wetlands to the east of Calcutta, the Sunderbans and the lower Gangetic floodplains — will be introduced this month.

The course has been designed by ecologist and conservation expert Tiasa Adhya, who is a member of the freshwater committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The IUCN is an international organisation working on nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

The module includes key aspects of the study and understanding of the wetlands ecology, conservation challenges and legal frameworks.

The course is designed to give students an interactive experience that will provide a foundation in wetlands science, Father Dominic Savio said.

Adhya said the wetlands purify water, prevent carbon dioxide from escaping into the air and work as a supply line for freshwater fish.

“But the wetlands are the most threatened. Through this course, we want to raise awareness among students about the wetlands,” she said.

Speaking on the threat to the wetlands, she referred to the threat of encroachments on the East Kolkata Wetlands, a 12,500-hectare sprawl of water bodies.

“Wetlands are under threat because of indiscriminate construction and infrastructure development projects. There is a need to spread awareness among students on wetland conservation so they can be conservation warriors,” said Adhya, also the director of the NGO Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL) and the principal instructor of the course.

Since the wetlands also provide a habitat for fishing cats and frogs, saving the wetlands will lead to the protection of wildlife.

Ashwika Kapur, a science communicator and natural history filmmaker, will teach students science communication.

“My task will be to present the subject to the students in a simple but engaging way so they can develop an interest. We want to develop students who can go beyond the classroom and explain the importance of wetlands conservation to the people at large lucidly and raise awareness,” said Kapur, a former student of the college.

“Preserving Mother Earth is a central priority for Xaverian institutions. We need science-informed wetland conservationists and conservation-minded wetland ecologists on an urgent basis. This course is timely and the need of the hour is to inspire students to develop an empathetic connection to wetlands and become passionate conservation communicators,” Father Dominic Savio told The Telegraph.

The course will include extensive field visits. Students will be taken to the Sunderbans, Dankuni in Hooghly and the East Kolkata Wetlands.