KBA Profile: Periyar
National Site Name
Periyar
English Name
KBA delineation
Catchment
Focal area delineation
Periyar lake and inflowing stream system (PLSS) for fishes; Periyar river in Idukki District for the
plant species.
Site description
An AZE site that is composed of hill streams with associated reservoirs, surrounded mostly by
primary forest and also secondary forerst and spice plantations. The site is impacted by reduced
flows from Peruyar dam and alien invasive fishes.
Management required at
catchment scale
Yes
Management required at focal
area within catchment
Yes
KBA Trigger Species
Group
Species
Criterion1
Criterion2
Criterion3
Notes
Crabs
Vela virupa
NA
2521.482461
715
Endemic to KBA
Fishes
Crossocheilus periyarensis
EN
4495.685546
NA
AZE species - Periyar lake and stream
system
Fishes
Garra hughi
EN
12172.02359
NA
Fishes
Garra periyarensis
VU
4495.685546
NA
Fishes
Garra surendranathanii
EN
10294.74923
NA
Fishes
Hypselobarbus kurali
NA
6105.594651
NA
Fishes
Hypselobarbus periyarensis
EN
2760.879668
NA
AZE species - Periyar lake and stream
system
Fishes
Lepidopygopsis typus
EN
4495.685546
NA
Fishes
Nemacheilus keralensis
VU
13129.722
NA
Fishes
Nemacheilus menoni
VU
4495.685546
NA
Fishes
Nemacheilus periyarensis
VU
4495.685546
NA
Fishes
Puntius ophicephalus
EN
11935.68039
NA
Fishes
Travancoria elongata
EN
6355.405816
NA
Fishes
Travancoria jonesi
EN
11679.68056
NA
Molluscs
Iravadia funerea
NA
9683.022308
NA
Odonata
Esme mudiensis
NA
21199.4574
NA
Odonata
Euphaea cardinalis
NA
22114.31401
NA
Odonata
Idionyx minima
NA
17442.77981
NA
Odonata
Idionyx saffronata
NA
24819.16101
NA
Odonata
Idionyx travancorensis
NA
12146.21987
NA
Odonata
Macromia flavocolorata
NA
21648.41687
NA
Odonata
Merogomphus longistigma
NA
26458.05683
NA
Odonata
Onychogomphus
nilgiriensis
NA
27739.64776
NA
Odonata
Platysticta deccanensis
VU
29167.59293
NA
Odonata
Protosticta antelopoides
NA
17066.74095
NA
Odonata
Protosticta davenporti
NA
17361.03282
NA
Odonata
Protosticta hearseyi
NA
40533.40822
NA
Plants
Anaphalis beddomei
VU
NA
NA
Plants
Anaphalis leptophylla
VU
NA
NA
AZE species - Periyar lake and stream
system
Plants
Anaphalis wightiana
VU
NA
NA
Plants
Cyathea crinita
EN
NA
NA
Plants
Dimeria hohenackeri
EN
NA
NA
Plants
Farmeria indica
EN
NA
NA
Plants
Fimbristylis dauciformis
EN
NA
NA
Plants
Podostemum munnarense
EN
5893.691243
NA
Plants
Rotala ritchiei
EN
10243.85484
NA
AZE species - Periyar river in Idukki District
Protected Areas Overlap with KBA
Name
Designation
Desig. Type
Status
PA Management Focus
Periyar
Sanctuary
National
Designated
No freshwater biodiversity management
Idukki
Sanctuary
National
Designated
No freshwater biodiversity management
Western Ghats
World Heritage Site
International
Inscribed
No freshwater biodiversity management
Megamalai
Sanctuary
National
Proposed
No freshwater biodiversity management
Periyar
National Park
National
Designated
No freshwater biodiversity management
Potential KBA Stakeholders*
Kerala Forest Department
Tamil Nadu Forest Department
Periyar Foundation
Indian AZE
Conservation Research Group (CRG)
Zoo Outreach Organisation
Center For Environment and Development
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
5.7 Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools(under 8ha)
15.1 Water Storage Areas(over 8ha)
Threats to KBA
Threats (IUCN Classification Scheme)
Notes
1.1 Housing & urban areas
1.3 Tourism & recreation areas
2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops
Tea plantation
2.4 Marine & freshwater aquaculture
In ponds that escape into natural system, and stock in reservoirs
3.2 Mining & quarrying
Granite quarries
6.1 Recreational activities
7.2 Dams & water management/use
7.3 Other ecosystem modifications
River diversions
8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases
Fishes
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents
9.4 Garbage & solid waste
Conservation actions for KBA
Conservation actions (IUCN
Classification Scheme)
In
place
Needed
Notes
Yes
Site protection that exists is not focused on freshwater species. The
AZE plant species also requires site protection
1.2 Resource & habitat protection
Yes
Stream flow restoration below Periyar dam and Idukki dam. The AZE
plant species also requires site protection
2.1 Site/area management
Yes
Periyar PA needs focus on freshwater species. Stream flow
restoration below Periyar dam and Idukki dam
2.2 Invasive/problematic species
control
Yes
for fishes
2.3 Habitat & natural process
restoration
Yes
Stream flow restoration below Periyar dam and Idukki dam.
3.1 Species management
Yes
For AZE species
3.2 Species recovery
Yes
For AZE species
4.1 Formal education
Yes
For all stakeholders
4.2 Training
Yes
On species identification, harvest management and habitat
restoration
1.1 Site/area protection
4.3 Awareness & communications
Yes
Yes
Yes
5.1 Legislation
Yes
5.2 Policies and regulations
Yes
5.3 Private sector standards &
codes
Yes
6.1 Linked enterprises &
Yes
Implementation of Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act
2010 & Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
livelihood alternatives
Food Security
Used for food security
Score
Notes
1. Subsistence
Optional/alternative
1
Essential staple
2
Emergency
0
unknown
2. Commercial
Local
3
Regional
1
National
0
3.Migrant fishers
0
Notes
Fishes only harvested
Other
Other biodiversity
The wetland plant Isachne fischeri is only known from Idukki within this KBA, but it has not been assessed for
the IUCN Red List. 15 species of Western Ghats endemic birds (out of 16) are found here, incl. 12 threatened
species of birds.
Protected areas
overview
The Periyar PA is also an IBA
References
1. Arun, L.K. 1997. Pattern and processess of fish assemblages in Periyar Lake – valley system of Southern
Western Ghats. Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi.
2. Arun, L.K. 2001. Fish assemblage structure in Periyar Lake stream system. KFRI report.
3. Bahir, M.M. and Yeo, D.C.J. 2007. The Gecarcinucid freshwater crabs of southern India (Crustacea:
Decapoda: Brachyura). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 16:309-354.
4. Nair S.C. 1994. The high ranges. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi.
5. Rahmani, A.R. and Zafar-ul Islam, M. 2004. Important Bird Areas in India. Birdlife International and BNHS.
6. Radhakrishnan and Kurup, 2010. Ichthyodiversity of Periyar Tiger Reserve. Journal of Threatened Taxa.
7. River Research Centre. 2013. Report on Monitoring of Fish Diversity of Rivers in Kerala. Kerala State
Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram. 98 pp.
Acknowledgments
Ali, A., Amitha Bachan, K.H., Anatha, L., Dahanukar, N., Jayachandran, K.V., Molur, S., Nameer, P.O.,
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