Management of Wetlands

Abstract

This special issue comprises articles reporting research into wetlands. The common feature of this research is that it directed towards bridging the gap between science and policy. Research has been conducted explicitly to provide information which decision-makers can use for managing wetlands. The term 'wetlands' attempts to generalise the interface between water and land. It is an umbrella term, encompassing the very large range of terms used to describe such systems. Wetlands have been receiving considerable public and policy attention in recent years. It is now widely recognised that they provide many important goods and services to human societies. Examples include drinking water, flood mitigation, water quality control, fish, and recreational and residential opportunities. Wetlands also support various endangered, charismatic and migratory species. Increased interest in wetlands stems from recognition that human activities are compromising the ability of wetlands to deliver these goods and services. The greatest sources of stress on wetlands include: changes in land use with habitat loss and fragmentation; resource extraction; drainage and reclamation, and pollution. Various international agreements exist to protect wetlands and their dependent species, but despite this, many wetlands over the world are under threat. Turner et al. (2000) identify four main reasons for this: (1) market failures due to the public good nature of wetlands; (2) externalities caused by economic activities such as agriculture, industry, and water abstraction; (3) lack of understanding of the many values associated with wetlands due to the complexity and 'invisibility' of spatial relationships among groundwater, surface water and wetland species; and (4)

Mediterranean wetlands: archaeology, ecology, and sustainability

“…Through this act, property of drained lands was granted to the promoter of a drainage project, fueling acceleration in wetland reclamation . Past attempts to control and regulate wetlands through drainage and reclamation have been widely criticized for their contribution to habitat and biodiversity loss, and the importance of wetlands has been re‐evaluated, for example, in terms of biological and ecosystem richness, conservation of biodiversity, flood risk management, and other regulation and cultural services . In Spain, this recent shift in value perception is exemplified at Doñana and Tablas de Daimiel, two wetlands that were designated among the first national parks in Spain, in 1969 and 1973, respectively.…”