"Wetlands and people at risk" seeks to bring awareness of important at-risk wetlands systems in different world regions by portraying their status, problems and conflicts related to human impacts as well as the effects of the loss of their ecosystem services on people’s livelihoods. Wetlands are among the world’s most productive and valuable ecosystems. They are natural reservoirs of biodiversity, providing ecosystem services and critical livelihoods for many populations. However, their conservation has been threatened worldwide by accelerated changes in land and water use. Because people use wetlands in different ways, it is important to highlight the direct relationship between a wetland’s conservation status and local peoples’ livelihood and well-being. Although wetland users easily perceive this link, it is not always clear to others how wetlands can provide high-quality benefits with the application of a few rational and sustainable management measures. However, pressure on wetlands has increased, particularly in densely populated freshwater and marine coastal areas, putting these unique ecosystems at high risk. While some damage to wetlands is obvious–development, pollution, and deforestation of mangroves leave scars–the worst damage can be insidious and invisible. Because wetlands are created by complex hydrological systems, simply diverting water flow to agriculture, holding back water with a dam or siphoning it away through channels can starve and even eliminate wetlands. To reverse the serious worldwide damage to wetlands, an updated diagnosis of the major threats is needed as well as prescriptions to implement sustainable management policies supported by appropriate legal frameworks. The conservation of wetlands is a challenging priority for the 21st century that must be addressed by initiatives such as those noted in this book. Instead of describing only problems and conflicts faced by wetlands in different regions of the world, the book proposes suitable management practices and solutions for the recovery and conservation of the different types of wetlands studied. Such solutions are presented to help environmental managers to restore and protect wetlands by integrating monitoring and assessment activities and sound restoration practices.
