Sustainable Management of Wetlands: biodiversity and beyond by Jyoti Parikh and Hemant Datye

(eds.), Sage Publications, 2002, New Delhi: pp 444. Rs. 650

Wetlands do not lend themselves to neat technical definitions, although the Ramsar criteria and the US Fish
and Wildlife definitions are popularly used. Different hydrological attributes like the depth, duration and
frequency of flooding determine the biotic assemblages, particularly the aquatic macrophytes, that provide
a biodiversity value to a wetland scientist on the one hand and a means of livelihood to the impoverished
local communities on the other. Yes, while the productivity of wetlands themselves rank among the highest
in any natural ecosystem, people dependent on the biomass production of wetlands are generally the
poorest. Further, in the Indian context, the strong seasonal nature of rainfall, dependence of a large
population on surface storage and the more recent impact of large dams on natural waterbodies have
exacerbated matters.

The management challenges are, therefore, unique and colossal. While the wetland scientist usually focus
on sustainable extraction systems based on his understanding of the production processes, the economist
usually studies the processes that generate a surplus for the dependent population on a sustainable basis.
Sustainable harvest and sustainable income therefore become two sides of the same coin suggesting a
natural collaboration between wetland scientists and development economists. However, it is easier said
than done, given the domain bias that is inherent in each discipline. Herein lies the achievement of Prof.
Jyoti Parikh, who is neither a stranger to wetland research nor to national efforts in developing wetland
policies, in bringing together researchers from different disciplines to focus on the common theme of
wetland management.

The first five chapters of this book, accounting for about half of its print-space, are primarily ecological
overviews. The opening chapter on general overview of Indian wetlands is a balanced conducted tour of the
reader through the conceptual issues, geographic spread, values, threats, conservation efforts etc. Of
particular interest will be the section on addressing failures, that deal with information, market and
intervention failures. It also sets the tone for a more holistic appreciation of the issues on wetlands. The
second chapter is more of an exposure to the most widely used tool to survey wetlands – remote sensing.
The data generated through these grandiose operations is mostly irrelevant in policy planning, since it often
fails to even get many wetlands included in urban area development plans, let along assist in the settlement
of much more contentious ownership rights. The next three chapters deal with coral reefs, mangroves and
wetlands in river-basins. These are written by scientists and the management sections focus on scientific
capacities, national policies and investments for restoration. While these are important, the local
stakeholders’ perspectives and their integration in the management remain rather peripheral.

This imbalance is sought to be corrected through the rest of the chapters. The sixth and seventh chapters,
incidentally authored by the editors themselves, are bold attempts towards providing a couple of tool kits
for wetland management – one scientific and the other economic. The critical issue of identifying data
needs, approaches to surveys and statistical analysis is addressed in the sixth chapter. While details of
various modern scientific techniques for biodiversity assessment are introduced, the phenomenon of
seasonal variations, particularly in India where the monsoons play a dominant role in determining
hydrologic aspects of shallow water-bodies, should have been emphasised. The seventh chapter introduces
the reader to some basic techniques of economic analysis such as methods of valuation where market
values do not exist. Of particular interest would be the sections that deal directly with wetland management
such as under-valuation and the need for use of precautionary principles.

The next three chapters deal with the Keoladeo National Park (KNP), arguably the most researched wetland
in India and among its first Ramsar sites. The first of these represent decades of research conducted by the
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which initially focused on avifauna, particularly the migratory
sorts, but evolved in time to cover a more complete ecological analysis that is reflected in this chapter. The
second one is also from the stable of BNHS, reflecting its more recent focus on awareness generation and
other participatory issues. The third one adopts a more direct economic approach to the management of
KNP. Tourism is more developed than most other wetlands in India and hence the Travel Cost Method
(TCM) has been used quite effectively, if only to suggest that the rates of entry tickets could be increased.
The Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) has also been attempted, which provide an interesting matrix of the
values attached to various wetland functions by different stakeholders. However, a section to justify
ecological economic approaches (as opposed to neo-classical approaches) seemed unwarranted and will
confuse the practising non-economist rather than influence the budding environmental economists.

The last two chapters are real disappointments that fail to break from traditional approaches to conservation
and management of areas that are rich in biodiversity. Chapter eleven bemoans the poor representation of
wetlands in the national protected area network. The reasons cited are compelling – scattered and ill-
defined ownership regimes and the dependence of millions of people for their sustenance – enough to spur
a radical re-think rather than trying to improve the existing framework. Yes, the present legal systems do
not provide much space for alternatives, but the choice of restricting our approaches within the contours of
archaic laws is entirely ours. Indeed, it does not even build on many of the suggestions in earlier chapters.
The final chapter could well have been written by bureaucrats in the last decade, rather than a modern
economist. Perhaps it is meant for the former! It neither deals with hydrologic regimes nor with stakeholder
participation in any substantive manner. In fact, juxtaposing participatory processes on the ground with
increased inter-ministerial responsibility at the governance level is too generic and safe an approach.
Proposing an increased role for all, albeit in a structured manner, might in reality suit the interests of those
who are detached and empowered more than those who are truly attached to wetland systems for their
survival and have few alternatives.

The country is likely to invest in surveys, research, training and awareness, perhaps through certain
international cooperation instruments, but sustainable management of wetlands will continue to elude as
long as fundamental issues that straddle the domains of ecology and economics remain disparate, like the
chapters in this book.

On the whole, the book should be credited with forcing a cohabitation of highly relevant, though yet
seemingly disparate, domains that are integral to the management of natural systems. The authors are
established specialists who have taken the courage to look beyond. True integration, however, will take
place in the minds of young readers who might just be encouraged to use this book in order to explore
frontiers that were once considered alien to each other. The book would have served its purpose if it
induced a few courageous young researchers to take up the challenge of addressing natural resources
management issues from a more holistic perspective that combine essential elements of both ecology and
economics.

∗
Somnath Bandyopadhyay


Ecologist, K-1/56 2nd floor, C.R. Park, New Delhi – 110 019. E-mail: somgec@hotmail.com