An evolutionary governance framework for the sustainable management of urban wetlands: integrating theoretical perspectives and practical applications

Wetlands are vital resources on the earth's surface and their roles and functions cannot be underestimated. The unique nature of the wetlands is recognized both at global and local levels. The objective of this study is to examine the sustainable management of the Sio-River Wetland in Nambale Sub-County. There is scanty research done to examine and document the sustainable management of the wetlands for the residents of Nambale Sub-County hence the need for study. To underscore the objective, a mixed research approach coupled with cross-sectional research design was used. Questionnaires, observation, interview guides, Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing were used in data collection. Questionnaires were administered to 400 inhabitants through cluster, simple random and purposive sampling. Qualitative data was thematically analysed while quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Ver.21). Results showed that human activities, more so, agriculture degrade the wetlands by 80%. It, therefore, concluded that there was no balance between human activities and sustainable management of Sio-River Wetland due to the irresponsibility of the local community, inadequate policies and laws and lack of integrated approach in management. In this aspect, this study recommends rehabilitation and restoration of fragile ecosystems, allocation of funds for research and development and adoption of an integrated approach in wetland management to enhance the sustainability of wetlands in Nambale Sub-County and other parts of the world. The study recommends participatory management of wetland resources and additional knowledge in the field of Sustainable Management of Rivers and Wetland Ecosystems

Wetlands provide essential goods and services to sustain human well-being. Sustainable management of wetland is complex due competing interests and require the participation of different actors. However, there is little attention on systematic analysis of actor participation in wetland management. This paper uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to analyse how actors with different interests, resources, and perceptions participate in governance arenas to influence the management of Rugezi Wetland. SNA centrality scores show that government organisations and one NGO HELPAGE occupy central positions in the network whereas Community Based Organisations occupy peripheral positions. Mann-Witney U Test shows that these central actors are able to advance their agenda incorporated in perceptions and interests on erosion control, decentralisation and local economic development, issues of illegal use of resources and lack of funds to implement livelihoods opportunities for households which depend on the use of the wetland resources. Peripheral actors advocate issues of compensation and land grabbing from buffer zone establishment and wetland resources uses for livelihoods, but are unable to influence the central actors's agenda. SNA E-I Index reveals that government organisations are more cohesive and able to form strong ties with donors to advance their agenda through political authority resource than NGOs and CBOs. In contrast, peripheral actors, mainly CBOs are less cohesive and more tied to NGOs and local government organisations through labour provision resource in the implementation of interventions. There is a trade-off between level participation and influence among actors that can be addressed through the establishment of a coordination body able to reduce the influence of state organisations and permit CBOs and NGOs to access to different resources such as funds and expertise.Keywords: Actor participation, Centrality Scores, E-I index, Governance arenas, Social Network Analysis, Sustainable Wetland Management

Economic consequences of wetland degradation for local populations in Africa

Background: Bangladesh’s wetlands support fish genetic resources, biodiversity, and food security but face obstacles like habitat degradation, overfishing, and climate change. This research looks at the diversity, abundance, IUCN conservation status, and stakeholder views for sustainable wetland management in three major wetlands: the Sundarbans mangrove (brackish water), the Sylhet floodplain (freshwater), and the Meghna River basin (estuary). Methods: To assess ecosystem health and vulnerability, we assess fish biodiversity and conservation status using Margalef’s Species Richness Index and Shannon–Weaver Diversity Index. We also used structured questionnaires to interview and gain stakeholders’ perceptions. Results: A total of 165 fish species were identified and categorized based on the IUCN Red List. The Sundarbans exhibited the highest species richness and diversity. The proportion of vulnerable species was highest in Sylhet (15%), followed by the Sundarbans (12%) and Meghna (9%), while 54% of fish species in Sylhet, 36% in the Sundarbans, and 26% in Meghna were not threatened. This study emphasizes integrated wetland management solutions that support SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land) as outlined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Conclusion: Findings provide a foundation for policymakers, researchers, and conservationists to develop sustainable wetland management frameworks that safeguard fish genetic resources, livelihoods, and ecological balance.

Effective natural resources management, especially of wetlands, are vital for the sustainability of livelihoods. This is further buttressed in Southern Africa where competing uses and users are increasingly putting pressure on these finite resources. The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) with financial support from the African Union and the European Commission in the framework of the GMES programme endeavoured to develop a geoportal tool for effective wetland Management through a project called Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Service for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa (WeMAST). WeMAST has an emphasis on capacity building and awareness raising for wetland assessment and monitoring in the following four transboundary river basins (Cuvelai, Okavango, Limpopo and Zambezi) across the SADC region. The WeMAST geoportal, developed during phase one, provides hydro-meteorological and physiographic attributes assessment and monitoring of wetlands. These include the spatial and temporal extent and status of wetlands, land cover and uses dynamics, flooding, vulnerability and fire indices. For the second phase, WeMAST puts emphasis on developmental impact on the ground hence some deliberate efforts are in place in order to enhance synergies between the scientists behind the concepts, the users, private sector and local communities on the ground as well as policy makers with the overall responsibilities of guiding the implementations of developmental pathways. In Phase II, policy and decision makers in the target countries (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) need to support upscaling and operationalization of the WeMAST geoportal.  As a result, the project consortium has now been designed in order to foster more interactions between stakeholders involved in wetland management through knowledge brokerage events where the geoportal tool, its products and services are disseminated, tested and validated to a great extent. Similarly an interface with policy makers has been established within the consortium through WaterNet via the Water Resources Technical Committee (WRTC) in order to appraise and involve SADC ministers in charge of water and natural resources management twice annually. The innovative and well-crafted approach of the WeMAST project under GMES offers a considerable room for enhanced synergies between policy makers, Scientists, the private sector and practioners for sustainable and effective wetland Management in the SADC region.

Tropical wetlands assume important functions in the landscape and contribute considerably to the welfare of large parts of the human population, but they are seriously threatened because they are considered free resources of land and water. This review summarizes long-term environmental trends for tropical wetlands and predicts their future to the time horizon 2025. Many tropical countries do not have the economic strength, scientific and technological capacity, and/or administrative infrastructure to adequately react to the challenges of increasing population pressure and globalization of the economy with respect to the sustainable use of the resources. Furthermore, political instability and armed conflicts affect large areas in several tropical countries, hindering wetland research and management. Detailed wetland inventories are missing in most countries, as are plans for a sustainable management of wetlands in the context of a long-term integrated water-shed management. Despite large regional variability, a continental ranking shows, in decreasing order of wetland integrity, South America, Africa, Australia and Asia, while efforts to mitigate human impacts on wetlands are largest and most advanced in Australia. Analysis of demographic, political, economic and ecological trends indicates fairly stable conditions for wetlands in tropical Australia, slight deterioration of the large wetland areas in tropical South America excepting the Magdalena and Cauca River flood plains where human population is larger, rapidly increasing pressure and destruction on many African and Central American wetlands and serious threats for the remaining wetlands in tropical Asia, by the year of 2025. Policy deficiencies, deficient planning concepts, limited information and awareness and institutional weakness are the main administrative reasons for wetland degradation and must be overcome to improve wetland management and protection in future. Intensification of international cooperation and assistance is considered of fundamental importance for most tropical countries to solve problems related to wetland research, protection and sustainable management.

Despite a national focus on saving wetland systems in the U.S., evaluations of wetland resources and management outcomes have been limited. A fifty-state survey of wetland managers was conducted in order to collect information on (1) wetland resources, (2) management actions taken, and (3) management impact on the resources (wetlands). An overview of the general status of state knowledge of the quantity and quality of their wetland resources is presented. Results indicate that most states have a rough estimate of the resources and most have wetland conservation plans and intend to develop better databases of wetland resources. However, few states track management actions relevant to wetlands and fewer have any idea of the success or impact of past management actions. The ability to assess program effectiveness is key to implementing adaptive management frameworks. A number of lessons learned suggest a basic framework for future wetland management that includes state planning, better quantification (mapping) of wetlands, development of methods to measure wetland quality, and tracking of wetland management actions and outcomes. This framework could also be used as an outline for the development of a more adaptive approach to wetland management.

How characteristics of wetlands resource users and associated institutions influence the sustainable management of wetlands in Tanzania

This chapter highlights opportunities and challenges associated with integrated management of wetlands at the catchment and landscape scale. It discusses the fragmented nature of many catchments, and the low priority given to wetlands, in spite of their important ecological functions and valuable ecosystem services. By highlighting the need for holistic approaches to managing catchment systems, we draw attention to the need to mobilise political will from the wide variety of institutions usually present in larger catchments. Lack of legal clarity over wetland identity and the negative impacts of vested interests often associated with economic development are other big barriers to more effective efforts to secure wetland integrity within the catchment or landscape context. Given the importance of wetlands to hydrological regimes, and increasing water stress from local to global scales, we conclude that greater implementation of market-based instruments is essential to counteract commercial self-interest, if sustainable management of wetlands is to be achieved.

Using a choice experiment to account for preference heterogeneity in wetland attributes: The case of Cheimaditida wetland in Greece

Sustainable wetland management is a focus of many countries worldwide. These mainly use protection as a key policy directive for conservation. However, avoidance directives tend to disenfranchise local populations. Thus, such management is often resisted and rarely effective. Tailoring management strategies to user preferences allows conservation to support community livelihoods for sustainable development. This study employed a discrete choice experiment to determine the wetland management attributes preferred by residents of Mpologoma catchment as a prelude to developing a co-management system. Listed in descending order, attribute preferences were paddy farmers’ schemes, fish farming, education and research, protected wetland area, and recreation and tourism. Respondents’ characteristics influenced their choices. Older adults were more likely to support fish farming. In contrast, existing paddy farmers tended to resist such focuses and an increase in protected wetland area. Additionally, respondents with higher education were opposed to paddy farmers’ schemes, and the preference for education and research was positively influenced by respondents’ income. Respondents were willing to pay between $0.64 and $1.76 per household for each unit improvement in the preferred attribute. Our results underscore the role of DCEs in unlocking individuals’ attribute preferences, whose integration into co-management systems can be important for sustainable wetland conservation.

How do individuals and groups perceive wetland functioning? Fuzzy cognitive mapping of wetland perceptions in Uganda

Policies regulating common-pool resources (CPR), such as wetlands, should take into account community socio-economic realities and community perceptions. The study aims to examine whether policies regulating common-pool resources, such as wetlands, should take into account community socio-economic realities and community perceptions. Specifically, it characterized Ethiopian farm households in the Amhara Region and household-head perceptions of six factors related to sustainable wetland management. Surveys were given to 385 respondents from five administrative units or kebeles (kebele is the smallest administrative unit). Focus-group discussions followed. All respondents were Orthodox Christians, and men constituted 93% of household heads. Kebeles differed significantly for household-head age and education, but overall education level was low. Most households had three or four children. Overall, the mean farm area was 0.89 ha, but within kebeles, mean areas ranged from 1.35 to 0.80 ha. Kidest Hana was the most successful kebele for farm size and yield. Significant differences existed among kebele farms for percentages of harvested crops sold, suggesting some were less food-secure. Data suggested male household-head farms had twice the area of female-head farms, older household heads had more land than younger ones, heads with more education had more children, and married heads had more land than divorced or unmarried heads. None felt that people outside their kebele should access their natural resources. Overall, 85% thought land ownership was communal, and 15% thought it was private. A plurality (44%) did not know who oversaw land management. None knew of any organizations working on sustainable wetland management, but most (75%) wanted to attend meetings on the subject. No farm used mechanized agriculture. Most (87%) had not abandoned alternative crops to produce more rice. Therefore, as a conclusion, every effort needs to be taken to address this socio-ecological and development challenge that faces Fogera wetlands and larger national and international impacts to achieve balanced and sustainable development. Hence, our study highlights the need for better education, leadership, and policies regarding sustainable wetland management.

Wetlands are facing enormous ecological risk at the same time of absorbing and accumulating heavy metals through the physical, chemical and biological processes. This study focuses on the heavy metal accumulation effect (AE) and its potential ecological risk (PER) of the Houshaogou urban cascade constructed wetland, located in the Xining City of Qinghai Province in China. By using the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) conjoint with PER index (E), the current study analyzed AE and PER of five kinds of common heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, As and Zn) in spatial, temporal and biological three scale. Results showed that three kinds of heavy metals (Cd, Cr and Zn) exhibited different levels of AE (0 < Igeo < 5) in sediments and organisms, which posed different levels of ecological risk for both natural ecosystems and humans. In spatial scale, the AE of Cd, Cr and Zn gradually increased from upstream wetlands to downstream wetlands. Heavy metals Cr and Zn, except for Cd, are at low level of PER (E<40) in wetland sediments. In temporal scale, Cd, Cr and Zn presented accumulation effects (0 < Igeo < 2) in all three studied periods. Considerable PER was triggered by Cd (80≤ECd<160) in sediments from 2013-2016. In biologically scale, Cd presented a higher level of AE (1< Igeo < 5) in organisms, leading to a higher level of risk ranges from considerable PER (80≤E<160) to very high PER (E≥320). The current study may provide information of heavy metal accumulation and removal processes of the Huoshaogou constructed wetland, which is important for sustainable ecological management and ecological risk regulation of urban wetlands.

The frequent occurrence of extreme flood events in the late 1990s and the past decade has brought about an ongoing debate on the relationships between wetland resources, wetland ecosystem services, and human development and livelihoods of communities in the Dongting area. This paper is prepared for analysing the best practices in wise-use and sustainable management of wetland and their socioeconomic benefits in Polder Xipanshanzhou in Dongting Lake. The quantitative (monetary values) and qualitative socioeconomic data of 1683 samples from questionnaire surveys during 2000 to 2008 were used for this study, of which 1173 were obtained in Polder Xipanshanzhou. Five conclusions are drawn from the study: (i) the community-based alternative activities and wise-use in Polder Xipanshanzhou after Returning Farmland to Lake (RFL) resulted in more income, increased well-being, reduced vulnerability to food shortage, poverty and flooding, and more sustainable use of the natural resource base; (ii) women, elder farmers, and low-income groups benefited much more from these activities; (iii) livelihood continued to improve as compared with that when the project started in 2000, and project participating households earned more income and owned more properties than non-project households. Even after the external funding stopped in 2001, its positive accumulated effects have still been significantly contributing to the improvement of livelihoods of this community; (iv) social structures within Polder Xipanshanzhou have been evolving in a positive way, community-based grass-roots organizations have emerged and developed well, and the capacities of community-based participatory co-management, self-governing and self- development, as well as local awareness of environmental issues have been improving, which attract more local people to be interested in such wise-use activities; and (v) the success can be attributed to the mobilization of local communities, favorable national policies, Public-Private Partnership (PPP), institutional arrangements in local communities, and adaptive management and innovative approaches.