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The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands envisages the significance of various wetland types, including playas, attributing magnitude to their ecological value, biodiversity, and role in ecosystem services. However, both natural influences such as shifts in seasonal rainfall cycles, and anthropogenic factors like urbanization are determinantal in the sustenance of the wetlands. This study focuses on Kanjli wetland, a Ramsar site influenced by a mélange of natural and human-driven forces affecting its hydrological dynamics. Situated in the agricultural plains of Punjab, India, this research endeavors to gauge the impacts of changing land use in the surroundings of Kanjli wetland. A mixed-method approach is employed, Landsat satellite images from 1990 and 2022 are initially classified to assess landscape transformations. Subsequently, primary data is collected and analyzed through fieldwork conducted in villages neighboring the wetland area. The statistically processed results indicate that approximately 85 percent of encroachment in the study area stems from infrastructural developments, exhibiting both positive and negative implications for the wetland ecosystem. The ensuing discussion underscores the imperative of conserving and sustainably managing the unique ecosystems of Ramsar wetlands in alignment with the core objectives of the Ramsar Convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]