Wetlands: Lifeline for people at the edge

Abstract

Communities with livelihood strategies that combine subsistence agriculture with utilisation of wetland resources constitute a significant proportion of the population in developing countries. Their livelihood depends to a large extent on the productivity of the natural systems, in particular wetlands that provide a great variety of functions and benefits. This includes their role as hydrological buffers and the provision of food, water, construction materials, as well as many other products. In addition, wetlands may provide options for additional developments such as tourism. Many of the amenities, functions and values of wetlands are crucial, not only for the food security of these people, but also for the survival of their cultures.To safeguard and possibly enhance the benefits of development for many communities who subsist on wetlands it is imperative that the benefits of the natural wetland ecosystems including their values for subsistence economies are recognised when planning and implementing development projects. Unfortunately, the importance of wetlands for these communities has been and continues to be too often ignored. While developments may bring economic prosperity or improved food security for the urban populations, often it is the poorer and marginalised people who subsist at the edge of wetlands and who are not involved the development planning that suffer from the negative environmental impacts of such developments. For many of these communities the loss of the wetlands would be tantamount to losing their lifeline.Emerging integrated wetland and water resources management approaches offer mechanisms to involve all stakeholders, to reconcile otherwise conflicting interests and to incorporate in the development plans the intrinsic natural values of wetlands. International conventions (e.g. the Ramsar Convention, Convention on Combating Desertification), and current vision building initiatives (e.g. World Water Vision) contribute to and promote the development of integrated development of policies at the international, national and local levels.