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Preface

Wetlands are critical natural resources and most productive ecosystems on earth. They are rich in terrestrial as well as aquatic flora and fauna. Wetlands hold significance for biodiversity, water conservation and ecosystem services. The critical ecosystems of wetlands support livelihoods and form a lifeline for billions of people living within wetlands and in their periphery. Majority of the global population is directly and indirectly dependent on these wetlands for drinking water, irrigation and other essential natural ecosystem services. Wetlands are known to provide habitats to as much as 20% of the planet’s various life forms. Wetlands form habitats for endangered and threatened species of wildlife, aquatic flora and fauna. The wetlands are also feeding, breeding and resting areas for a host of migratory birds which travel vast distances over many continents and across different geographical zones and biomes. Wetlands are referred to as biological supermarkets and ‘kidneys and lungs of the landscapes where they exist’ due to their ecological interface with the hydrological, chemical and biological cycles.

Many wetlands are a direct source of drinking water and many rivers also originate from wetlands. Wetlands have supported human existence since antiquity. The nomadic populations across the globe have settled nearby these wetlands since ancient times as wetlands provided ample pastures for livestock rearing. Wetlands have social, economic and cultural significance for human beings. For example, in the Himalayan region of India wetlands have socio‐religious and cultural importance for the inhabitants. People of these regions worship the wetlands and consider these water bodies as sacred. Since 1900, around half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared due to exploitation of natural resources by human beings in the wetlands. Intense human activities in the wetlands have led to degradation and loss of these areas. In addition to anthropogenic pressures, climate change, land use patterns, land cover change, urbanisation, global warming modern agricultural practices etc. have affected the wetland system adversely, across the globe. Preservation and restoration of wetlands will help to conserve these bodies and will also lead to upholding the social, cultural, economic and religious significance of the wetlands. Wetlands hold immense significance in controlling and mitigating floods. For example mangrove wetlands reduce wave energy and thus protect coastal communities from floods etc. Through the process of nitrogen recycling, these wetlands help in improving the downstream water quality. They also help in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

All through in the twentieth century wetlands have faced neglect and disregard. The significance of these wetlands ecosystems were realised by people after second half of the twentieth century onwards and across the globe consciousness rose about the consequences of losing these valuable natural resources. 1971, a Convention on Wetlands called the Ramsar Convention was held in Ramsar, Iran for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. This Convention upholds the distinction of being the first modern treaty between countries aimed at conserving natural resources. This Convention necessitated signatories to draft policies for wetland conservation and their wise use. Following the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, a number of policy instruments were formulated for the protection and conservation of these resources at regional, local and global levels. Though a legal and policy framework is existing on the wetlands, still these resources are not adequately conserved and managed and a large number of wetlands continue to be in deplorable state.

Many governments and different NGO’s are working for wetlands conservation at the local, global and regional level. Some of the International organisations working for conversation and protection of the wetlands include Wetlands International, Ramsar Convention Bureau, WWF, Wildfoul & Wetlands Trust, US Fish and Wildlife Services, The Wetlands Institute, The Wetlands Initiative, Society of Wetlands Scientist, IUCN, Birdlife International and many state and national wetland authorities.

This book aims at elucidating both policy and management practices for wetland managers and indigenous technical knowledge for the management of wetlands. This book contains 13 chapters representing different geographical regions ranging from the coastal regions to high altitude Eastern and Western Indian Himalayas. Different types of studies on wetlands such as those of coastal, mangroves, lagoon, reservoir‐based wetlands and high‐altitude wetlands studies from are highlighted in this book. This book provides baseline information on wetlands, along with definition, categorization, classification and global status of wetlands as well conservation policies. The Ramsar Convention, legal frameworks and effectiveness of the instruments of the Convention are also highlighted in the book. It also describes the different tools and methods used for recognition of economic evaluation of wetlands. Case studies from Eastern Himalayan, Western Himalayan, plains of India and coastal regions in this edited book provide an in‐depth understanding of these diverse ecosystems, along with their current status, challenges and future strategies for conservation. People’s participation and action learning through multidisciplinary and holistic approaches for wetland conservation and restoration are also suggested in the book. In addition the book also attempts to highlight sustainable practices for conservation of wetlands ecosystems along with the development of national plans and research for their conservation. Various initiatives have been carried out by different bodies for conservation of wetlands, but a significant reason for the failure of conservation initiatives is lack of accurate scientific information on wetlands. Thus, science based participatory conservation actions have been strongly advocated in the book. It is recommended in the book that genuine research be conducted, which can lead to desirable policy interventions. This book cover insightful scientific and socio‐cultural aspects related to the wetlands. It is aimed that this book will be a useful resource for researchers, ecologists, geographers, policymakers and other stakeholders working on the natural resources, wetland and water management.

We are indebted to all the individual authors for their expertise and contributing valuable information in form of chapters to complete this book. We would like to express our gratitude to our Publisher Wiley Blackwell, John Wiley & Sons for accepting the book proposal and for their continuous support, encouragement. We acknowledge and express our appreciation for all reviewers, Content Refinement Specialist Vimali Joseph and Senior Commissioning Editor Andrew Harrison, Senior Managing Editor Rosie Hayden from Wiley for their valuable constructive suggestions, continuous support and encouragement.

Date: July 1 2021

Editors Sanjeev Sharma & Pardeep Singh