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The Western Ghats Rivers and Streams ecoregion is relatively isolated. Many of the species that have evolved in this humid ecoregion can't be found anywhere else in the world. The Western "Ghats," which means "river landing stairs" in Hindi, is a mountain range from which numerous rivers and streams flow. These waterways provide sustenance for the moist and fertile lands that surround them. The rivers and streams are also home to diverse fish species, many of which live only here.
The Western Ghats run north to south for about 9,941 miles (1,600 km) and have peaks of many different heights up to 8,841 feet (2,695 m). Steep canyons and countless small streams cut across the mountainsides that face west, but to the east there are gentle slopes and wide valleys. Several major rivers run either inland or toward the Arabian Sea, including the Bhima, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. India has 750 known species of freshwater fish. More than 100 live only in the small rivers and streams draining the old and relatively stable Western Ghats mountain range. A highly endemic group of fishes has evolved here because of the region’s isolation and stability over evolutionary time. Eighteen of these species are threatened, including the Malabar batasio, Peninsular hilltrout, Red Canarese barb, and the Canara barb. The Indian blind catfish lives in deep wells where there is little light. The Malabar swamp eel lives in marshy areas and burrows in the bottom of ditches and pools. But the ecoregion isn't just for swimmers. Many endemic plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians also live here.
Deforestation, impoundments, and water diversion are the major threats to the freshwater health of the ecoregion. Many people depend on the water in the Western Ghats Rivers and Streams for agriculture. Because of this, several development projects divert water for irrigation, which dries up streams and brooks. Dams built on the rivers change the natural flow of water and destroy habitat.
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