Functional assessment of wetlands

Abstract

Decisions affecting wetlands historically have been dominated by sectoral viewpoints, for example, drainage to improve agriculture or wildlife conservation. Government policies supporting wetland maintenance, where they existed, have been based largely on traditional conservation arguments. Such a nature conservation ethic has been insufficient alone to prevent progressive wetland degradation and loss on a global scale. It has commonly failed to compete with the more immediate socio-economic needs of people perceived to result from the alternative uses of wetland areas. This chapter examines the more recent approaches to wetland management which assess their functioning and the delivery of different ecosystem services valuable to people. Functional assessment can help with the more rational decision-making for wetland resources worldwide.