Wetlands

This publication presents the proceedings of the National Symposium on Wetland Conservation and Management held in 2003 in Colombo. An Introduction to Wetland Conservation in Sri Lanka is followed by ten papers on various themes on wetlands presented by eminent scientists along with the recommendations arising from the symposium.

IUCN has been working to raise awareness regarding the values of wetland ecosystems, the threats to wetlands, wetland dependent peoples and species, and to build capacity for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in Nepal. This report is the result of a significant project development effort undertaken by IUCN Nepal over the last two years, which was to design a national project for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in the country.

The Pangani River Basin covers an area of about 43,650 km2, mostly in Tanzania with approximately 5% in Kenya. The Basin contains a wide array of resources of which water and arable land are arguably the most important to its 3.7 million Tanzanian inhabitants. There is a diversity of interests in the Basin, and these are able to wield various degrees of power as they seek to lay claim to its resources.

This book tells the story of times past, when wetlands were considered as wastelands and decision makers and managers were unaware of their benefits, a time when the adverse impacts of hydropower and irrigation schemes on ecosystems and people downstream seemed unimportant. Today wetland ecosystems are viewed as essential elements in integrated river basin planning, which draws upon the most appropriate modern science and traditional knowledge.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) advocates an ecosystem approach to environmental management, and spells out the principles in its Appendix 1. However, applying these principles can sometimes be less than straightforward. This book tells the story of an ecosystem approach to the rehabilitation of the lower delta of the Senegal River in Mauritania, in and around Diawling National Park.