186
conservation- minded people and organisations
throughout the world. It is partly because they
have been disappearing at alarming rates and, in
part, because their disappearance represents an
easily recognisable loss of natural areas to economic ‘progress’. Many scientists, engineers,
lawyers and regulators are now fi nding it both
useful and necessary to become specialists in
wetland ecology and wetland management in
order to understand, preserve and even reconstruct these fragile ecosystems.
11.1 Human History and
Wetlands
Till date, there is possibly no means to estimate
the impact the humans had on the global scenario
of wetlands. It is, perhaps, only to observe that the
impact has been ranging from signifi cant to total
in most of the heavily populated regions of the
world. Nevertheless, the importance of wetland
environments in the development and sustenance
of cultures since the dawn of human civilisation is
unmistakable. Many cultures in the world had
learnt to live in harmony with the wetlands, and
they had benefi ted from the surrounding wetlands
(Nicholas 1998 ). On the other hand, other cultures
had quickly drained the (wetland) landscape. It is
notable here that the ancient Babylonians,
Egyptians, Aztec (in what is now Mexico), etc.,
had developed specialised systems of water
delivery involving wetlands. In fact, Mexico City
is the site of a wetland/lake which had disappeared during the past 400 years possibly due to
human interference. Signifi cantly, some of the
major cities of the world, such as Chicago and
Washington DC in the USA, Christchurch in New
Zealand and parts of Paris in France, today stand
on sites which were once portions of wetlands.
Further, many of the large airports, e.g. JFK in
New York, are situated on former wetlands.
Coles and Coles ( 1989 ) have dealt with people
who live in proximity to wetlands and whose
culture is linked to them as ‘wetlanders’. For
example, the Camarguais of southern France, the
Cajuns of Louisiana. They had camped in the
Atchafalaya swamp of coastal Louisiana, cranberry,
for wet harvesting in North America which was
fi rst started in Massachusetts. The harvesting of
peat or turf in Ireland, peat mining in Estonia, the
Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq (mainly at the confl uence of Tigris and Euphrates rivers) are said to
be similar examples. Likewise, ‘wetlanders’ are
available in many South Asian and South-East
Asian countries. For example, about 1,00,000
people have been living in Sone Beel which is the
biggest wetland in Assam, India; about 60,000
people live amid wetland-canal system in
Welshan County, Shandong Province, China, etc.
They had been living in harmony with the wetlands since centuries. The ‘wetland house’ in the
Ebro River delta region in the Mediterranean Sea
in Spain is noteworthy. The Native Americans in
North America had harvested and re-seeded the
wild rice ( Zizania aquatica ) along the littoral
zone of lakes and streams for centuries. Further,
the domestic wetlands, such as the ricefi elds,
have been feeding approx. half of the world’s
population since centuries. Moreover, innumerable
number and varieties of plant and animal products are harvested from the wetlands throughout
the globe. In addition, many aquatic plants,
besides rice, such as the Manchurian wild rice
( Zizania latifolia ), are harvested as vegetables in
China. Further, the Russians, Finns, Estonians,
etc., had mined their peatlands for centuries using
peat as a source of energy. Sphagnum peat is now
harvested throughout the world, notably in New
Zealand, for horticultural purposes.
Notwithstanding the above, the wetlands could
be an important source of protein. Production of
fi sh in shallow wetlands including ricefi elds has
been in practice in many SE Asian countries,
notably in China, India, Bangladesh, etc., and in
Africa, since centuries. Harvest of crayfi sh is
practised in the wetlands of Louisiana and the
Philippines even today. Shallow lakes and wetlands are an important provider of protein in many
parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In northern Europe,
the British Isles, New England, etc., the coastal
marshes were and are still used as pastures for
grazing and for hay production. In addition, the
coastal mangroves are harvested for timber, food
and tannin in many countries throughout IndoMalaysia, East Africa, Central and South America,
11 Wetlands in the Landscape: Their History, Defi nitions, Origin and Evolution
conservation- minded people and organisations
throughout the world. It is partly because they
have been disappearing at alarming rates and, in
part, because their disappearance represents an
easily recognisable loss of natural areas to economic ‘progress’. Many scientists, engineers,
lawyers and regulators are now fi nding it both
useful and necessary to become specialists in
wetland ecology and wetland management in
order to understand, preserve and even reconstruct these fragile ecosystems.
11.1 Human History and
Wetlands
Till date, there is possibly no means to estimate
the impact the humans had on the global scenario
of wetlands. It is, perhaps, only to observe that the
impact has been ranging from signifi cant to total
in most of the heavily populated regions of the
world. Nevertheless, the importance of wetland
environments in the development and sustenance
of cultures since the dawn of human civilisation is
unmistakable. Many cultures in the world had
learnt to live in harmony with the wetlands, and
they had benefi ted from the surrounding wetlands
(Nicholas 1998 ). On the other hand, other cultures
had quickly drained the (wetland) landscape. It is
notable here that the ancient Babylonians,
Egyptians, Aztec (in what is now Mexico), etc.,
had developed specialised systems of water
delivery involving wetlands. In fact, Mexico City
is the site of a wetland/lake which had disappeared during the past 400 years possibly due to
human interference. Signifi cantly, some of the
major cities of the world, such as Chicago and
Washington DC in the USA, Christchurch in New
Zealand and parts of Paris in France, today stand
on sites which were once portions of wetlands.
Further, many of the large airports, e.g. JFK in
New York, are situated on former wetlands.
Coles and Coles ( 1989 ) have dealt with people
who live in proximity to wetlands and whose
culture is linked to them as ‘wetlanders’. For
example, the Camarguais of southern France, the
Cajuns of Louisiana. They had camped in the
Atchafalaya swamp of coastal Louisiana, cranberry,
for wet harvesting in North America which was
fi rst started in Massachusetts. The harvesting of
peat or turf in Ireland, peat mining in Estonia, the
Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq (mainly at the confl uence of Tigris and Euphrates rivers) are said to
be similar examples. Likewise, ‘wetlanders’ are
available in many South Asian and South-East
Asian countries. For example, about 1,00,000
people have been living in Sone Beel which is the
biggest wetland in Assam, India; about 60,000
people live amid wetland-canal system in
Welshan County, Shandong Province, China, etc.
They had been living in harmony with the wetlands since centuries. The ‘wetland house’ in the
Ebro River delta region in the Mediterranean Sea
in Spain is noteworthy. The Native Americans in
North America had harvested and re-seeded the
wild rice ( Zizania aquatica ) along the littoral
zone of lakes and streams for centuries. Further,
the domestic wetlands, such as the ricefi elds,
have been feeding approx. half of the world’s
population since centuries. Moreover, innumerable
number and varieties of plant and animal products are harvested from the wetlands throughout
the globe. In addition, many aquatic plants,
besides rice, such as the Manchurian wild rice
( Zizania latifolia ), are harvested as vegetables in
China. Further, the Russians, Finns, Estonians,
etc., had mined their peatlands for centuries using
peat as a source of energy. Sphagnum peat is now
harvested throughout the world, notably in New
Zealand, for horticultural purposes.
Notwithstanding the above, the wetlands could
be an important source of protein. Production of
fi sh in shallow wetlands including ricefi elds has
been in practice in many SE Asian countries,
notably in China, India, Bangladesh, etc., and in
Africa, since centuries. Harvest of crayfi sh is
practised in the wetlands of Louisiana and the
Philippines even today. Shallow lakes and wetlands are an important provider of protein in many
parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In northern Europe,
the British Isles, New England, etc., the coastal
marshes were and are still used as pastures for
grazing and for hay production. In addition, the
coastal mangroves are harvested for timber, food
and tannin in many countries throughout IndoMalaysia, East Africa, Central and South America,
11 Wetlands in the Landscape: Their History, Defi nitions, Origin and Evolution