The policy implications and measures towards sustainability of environments, ecosystems and natural resources vary from place to place and country to country with respect to resources.
In case of wetlands, policies that can ensure conservation of biological diversity and sustainable development of wetlands cannot emerge without understanding of ecological and socio-economic values as well as careful planning of wetlands through initiatives that can allow successful integration of interests.
Wetland management initiatives, in principle, can have different objectives directed towards preservation, conservation, or enhancement of resource and objectives chosen for a wetland site reflect policy of managing organization. Remit of a managing organization can be formulated in a “mission statement”.
Image Source: appliedaquaticmgmt.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
An ideal objective for a site can be a landmark of orientation. It may not be realized soon but it should nevertheless be realistic. Wetland management should not only be based on policy of nature conservation or policy of managing organization but also be integrated conveniently within territorial planning system.
In wetlands of international and national importance, nature conservation usually is a form of system management, rather than specific management, such as, water level management, vegetation management, population management, socio-economic management, etc.
Management measures are, therefore, directed towards protection of nature and environment for these designated wetlands, but there is also recreational, scientific or landscape reasons. Furthermore, in India as well as in Kolkata, most smaller water bodies under private or Government ownership are utilized for economic activities like fishery and production of agricultural crops.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Wetlands and their resources generate life-support systems and services. Exact mechanism by which they do so is not known. Lack of adequate understanding of such mechanisms may lead to destruction and irreversible loss of wetlands and this in turn may reinforce our own destruction and demise.
What we need, today, are strong development policies on part of nation that must maintain ecological processes and ecosystem health, preserve ecological diversity, and ensure wise as well as sustainable use of wetlands or resources, while promoting human dignity, equity, cooperation, and mutual and pluralistic synergism in social system (Ureti, 1994).
There is a need for a new development approach of integrated area development planning process incorporating dryad and wetland ecosystems as well as social and biological dimensions in a comprehensive perspective that achieve the social goal of biological diversity, conservation of natural systems, and promotion of ecologically sustainable development.