IWMI’s new publication Wetlands and People was released to coincide with World Wetlands Day today, Sunday 2 February. In this report, researchers give many examples of the value of wetlands to rural poor communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and discuss ways to manage them sustainably. Several wetlands in Sri Lanka – Negombo, Kalametiya, Bundala and Embilikala lagoons, are also highlighted.
Photo: Sanjiv de Silva
Wetlands are important environments for people, wildlife and plants as they provide freshwater, food and services, such as medicines and fuel tourism, and contribute to the livelihoods of millions of the world’s poor. But if they are not exploited sustainably, the people and the environment suffer. Wetlands and People encourages a ‘people-centred approach to managing wetlands and supports the move away from their absolute protection to an approach that integrates conservation with development.
“Outright protection of wetlands is incompatible with farming and would threaten the livelihoods of millions of people, and we’ve seen these approaches fail in the past,” said Matthew McCartney, a hydrologist at IWMI, and a contributor to the book, Wetlands and people. “But there are agricultural practices that can support and sustain healthy wetlands, and vice versa. Working with local communities will help us find the best solutions.”
Photo: Sanjiv de Silva
The Ramsar Convention
The destruction of wetlands has led to several initiatives to protect and restore them. The Ramsar Convention is perhaps the most significant of these. Established in 1971 in Iran, Many countries around are signatories to the Convention. Signatories are obliged to designate at least one wetland in their country as protected and are obliged to promote the wise use of all the wetlands in their territory. Sri Lanka too, is a signatory and six wetlands in the country have also been designated by the Ramsar convention as wetlands of international importance: Annaiwilundawa tanks sanctuary. In Sri Lanka’s Northwestern Province, the Bundala sanctuary and Maduganga located in the South, Kumana and Wilpattu wetlands locate in national parks and the Vankalai Sanctuary in the Mannar district.
Download your free copies of the following publications:
- Wetlands and people: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Books/PDF/wetlands-and-people.pdf
- IWMI Research Report 137, Wetlands, agriculture and poverty reduction:
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/publications/iwmi-research-reports/iwmi-research-report-137/
This report provides a detailed overview of the work being done to find ways to support wetlands and livelihoods around the world. - Lagoons of Sri Lanka: From the origins to the present:
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Books/PDF/lagoons_of_sri_lanka-from_the_origins_to_the_present.pdf
This report is based on benchmark research that quantifies the lagoons on the island, and studies the impact of human activity on these wetlands.
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A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the