Hokersar

Wetland conservation area in Jammu and Kashmir, India

The Hokersar is a wetland conservation area in Zainakote, near Srinagar city in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley, northwest of Srinagar.

The Hokersar wetland consists of three zones with varied flora. The northeastern zone contains various dense macrophytes while Trapa natans and Phragmites australis are found predominantly in the central zone, which is a large expanse of water. The southern zone is a silted portion and acts as pasture land.

The Hokersar wetland was first designated as a conservation reserve under the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978. Hokersar, Haigam and Shallabugh Wetland are protected areas within the Jhelum basin and have also been declared as bird sanctuaries by the government of Jammu & Kashmir. In 2005, the reserve was recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention as Hokera Wetland. It falls under India's National Wetlands Conservation Programme and is also included in the network of Important Bird Areas.

Threats to the Hokersar wetland include human activities and encroachments. The wetland has been reduced from in 1969 to in 2008. Over time, many areas of the wetland have been converted into paddy cultivations. Discharge of the domestic waste into the wetland, primarily through the inlet streams, has led to excessive weed growth and eutrophication, both of which pose a great threat to the reserve's flora.