DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjahss.2025.v13i04.004

Pages: 97-107

The Najafgarh Wetland, a vast transboundary waterbody located along the Delhi–Haryana border, represents one of the most dynamic urban wetlands in northern India, currently undergoing rapid ecological and socio-spatial transformation. This study assesses its evolving ecosystem services and identifies the natural and anthropogenic drivers influencing its transition from a functional wetland to one under flux. Using the Function–Flux–Driver (FFD) framework, the wetland is interpreted as a socio-ecological system undergoing adaptive reorganization under sustained anthropogenic and institutional pressures. The research is based on a mixed-methods approach combining field-based observations, structured household surveys of 748 respondents, and institutional interviews. Findings show that while Najafgarh continues to perform key hydrological functions such as flood regulation, groundwater recharge, and microclimate moderation, its ecological balance is severely compromised. The wetland’s hydrology has shifted from rainfall-driven to being sustained by 350–864 MLD of urban wastewater, resulting in eutrophication, weed proliferation, and oxygen depletion. Despite these trends, 99.5% of respondents perceived biodiversity to have increased, reflecting a major perception gap between ecological reality and visual appearance. Fragmented governance between Delhi and Haryana has emerged as the principal driver of this decline, producing an “institutional vacuum” that has stalled notification, weakened enforcement, and allowed unchecked pollution and encroachment. The study concludes that the degradation of Najafgarh is less an ecological inevitability than a governance failure. It proposes an adaptive co-management approach integrating legal clarity, pollution control, participatory governance, and livelihood inclusion. This framework offers a pathway for transforming Najafgarh from a flux-driven, degraded ecosystem into a resilient urban wetland capable of sustaining both ecologi