Richard C. Smardon Sustaining the World’s Wetlands Setting Policy and Resolving Conflicts 13 Richard C. Smardon College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse, NY 13210 USA [email protected] ISBN 978-0-387-49428-9 e-ISBN 978-0-387-49429-6 DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-49429-6 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009926981 # Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, LLC 2009 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer ScienceþBusiness Media (www.springer.com) Foreword Wetlands throughout the world, including those described in this book are among the most sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems. They are critical habitats to the world’s migratory birds and a broad range of endangered mammal, reptile, amphibian, and plant species. They provide a broad range of flood storage, pollution control, water supply, ecotourism functions to indigenous peoples and country populations as a whole. They are also at the center of severe land and water use conflicts. These are conflicts between counties where wetland resources or the water supplies required for such resources involve more than one country. These are conflicts in use such as conflicts between habitat protection and charcoal production in mangroves. These are conflicts between groups of peoples such as indigenous peoples and hydropower advocates. Many wetlands have already been destroyed by water extractions, dams, levees, channelization, and fills. Others have been degraded by water pollution, overfishing and overhunting, timber harvest, and a host of other activities. This book describes these conflicts and international policies and institutions developed to protect and manage wetland resources. Most of the broader literature and other books on wetlands focuses on wildlife. Wildlife is described in the case studies, which follow. But, Richard Smardon provides us with more. He traces the history of conflicts and the development of policies and institu- tions to protect and manage wetland resources. Richard has patiently prepared the book. It has been several decades in the making. During this time, Richard and his colleagues and students have not only investigated but also participated in efforts to protect and manage wetland resources domestically and internationally such as his work in the Yucatan Peninsula. Richard has throughout his career been interested in the role of local people in resource management. The case studies which follow will be of interest to anyone wishing to protect wetland ecosystems. They will be of interest to teachers wishing students to understand the complexities of natural resource policy making. They will be of interest to NGOs and governments wishing to reduce conflicts and better manage and restore wetlands. v vi Foreword The case studies are illustrated with many fine figures and photographs and abundant references for anyone seeking more information. My colleagues and I have had the pleasure of working with Richard and his students for many years. This includes lively discussions on the case study wetlands described in this book. During this time, Richard has given freely his time to aid wetland protection and restoration efforts at all levels of government and by NGOs. This work is much appreciated. We hope you enjoy the book and find it useful. I thank Richard for preparing the book and sharing his insights with us. Berne, New York Jon Kusler, PhD Association of State Wetland Managers Preface Wetland assessment and management continues to be a major policy issue around the world especially with CEC environmental putting pressure on European countries, with the Rio Conference and Ramsar Treaty stressing wetland protection, and with the continuing debate about wetland management in North America. There is an international audience as witnessed by continu- ing interest/attendance at international meetings and conferences on Ramsar Treaty, IUCN Biosphere Reserve management, sustainable development implementation, and eco/nature tourism. There is a strong academic interest in wetland policy and management conflicts as examples of resource conflict, sustainable development, local equity, and decision making. So, the book could be used as a textbook for departments of environmental studies, ecology, human ecology, natural resource management, environmental science, geogra- phy, applied anthropology, international policy, and conflict resolution at the upper undergraduate and graduate levels. Key themes that will be treated in almost all the eight case studies are as follows: (1) trade-offs between sustainable use of wetlands for food, fuel, and fiber vs. protection of ecosystem diversity and stability and (2) respective roles of Big International Non-government Orga- nizations (BINGOs), national and regional government, and local community- based organizations when faced with wetland management issues. Developed countries/regions and developing countries are facing equally challenging but different wetland management issues. With the advent of global warming and resultant regional climate change, effective wetland management strategies are urgently needed. This book focuses on the roles of different actors in different contexts as both developed and developing countries strive for sustainable wetland use and management. Syracuse, New York Richard C. Smardon vii Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank the many wetland experts around the world who encouraged him to keep working on this book and reinforced the basic themes. Specific acknowledgements for all those who made individual contributions to the development of specific case study chapters are given below. For review comments on the Wadden Sea wetlands chapter, I sincerely thank Professor Dr. H.L.F. Saeijs, chief engineer, director of Delta Area and professor of Water Quality Policy and Sustainability, Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For the Axios River Delta comments the author wishes to thank Costas Cassios of the Athens National Technical University and Topiotechniki whose project allowed him to actually see the Axios Delta area. Special thanks to Chrysoula Athanasiou of the WWF-Red Alert Project who provided detailed comments on an earlier draft plus valuable updates. Additional material was provided by Professor P.A. Gerakis of the Gaulandris Museum of Natural History, Greek Biotype/Wetland Centre, Thermi, Greece and Professor J. Szijj, University of Geasamthochschule-Essen, Germany. For the Kafue Flats, Zambia River chapter, many thanks for the commen- tary provided by Bernard Kamweneshe of the Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Dr. Charles Namafe, School of Education, University of Zambia, and Ms, Monica Chundama, WWF Program Officer on an earlier working draft of this chapter. For east Kolkata wetland, coauthors plus the primary book author wishes to acknowledge the efforts of Dr. N.C. Landi, deputy director of the Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Calcutta, for his careful editing and rewrites of this chapter. Many thanks to George Archibald who agreed to let ICF cooperate with the author on the Tram Chim Nature Reserve, Vietnam, study and to Jeb Brazen, ICF, for letting the author interview him in depth and to Rich Beilfuss, ICF, for his detailed comments on the first chapter draft. Thanh Vo, a doctoral student at SUNY/ESF, provided recent updates plus photos of Tram Chim. The author is deeply grateful for the interview time with Stephen Brown, Cam Davis, Gail Gruenwald, and Nancy Patterson of Environment Canada for the chapter on Great Lakes wetlands. ix x Acknowledgments The author is indebted to early review comments from Joann Andrews (past president of PRONATURA) and Dr. John Frazier (formerly of CINVESTAV and now with Smithsonian Institution) plus key feedback from Drs. Betty Faust, Julia Fraga, and Jorge Euan of CINVESTAV, Merida’, Mexico, for Ria Celestun and Ria Lagartos wetlands chapter. Special contributions were provided by Scott Moan (former landscape architecture masters student) for his work on Ria Lagartos and to Gabriela Canamar (another landscape architec- ture student) who did translation work plus an ecotourism survey of Celestun. For Mankote mangrove chapter the author acknowledges the collaboration of Matius Burt, Yves Renard, Allan Smith, and the local mangrove producers whom he interviewed plus the review comments of Allan Smith on an earlier draft of this chapter. Contents 1 International Wetland Policy and Management Issues............. 1 Introduction . 1 Wetland Stress and Loss . 3 Development of International Wetland Policy . 5 National Wetland Policy Developments Around the World . 11 Plan of the Book . 16 Acronyms . 17 References . 17 2 The Wadden Sea Wetlands: A Multi-jurisdictional Challenge ....... 21 Introduction .