454
low. Rates of health, nutrition and education are
poor, and State support services are limited. As
communications improve, pressures are growing
on natural resources.
21.9.1 How Is Food Security
Threatened
Inability to achieve food security was due to
decrease in fi sh stock and less water in the river.
During the implementation of the project, it
became clear that despite the villagers’ wish to
increase rice production, government support
was crucial in developing irrigation systems and
credits to buy livestock. In view of mainly economic constraints, the women have become
engaged in selling fi shes and livestock.
21.9.2 What Is the Solution?
WANI and its partners worked with local villagers to determine the nutritional value locked
in their wetland, in order to fi nd ways and
means for their better harnessing and conservation. Notably, the fi sheries of the Mekong wetlands are the single most important source of
animal protein for the people in this region.
The health of the people, their food security,
culture and economies are closely connected to
wetland fi sheries.
Although government agencies largely defi ne
food security in terms of rice security, the people
place equal importance on the harvest from their
fi sheries as well.
21.9.3 Nutritional Study Findings
Ricefi elds are, perhaps, the most widespread and
economically productive type of wetland in the
Mekong. While agricultural development focuses
on increasing rice productivity, the wild aquatic
resources in these fl oodplains and ricefi elds are
often overlooked. Assessment of the nutritional
role of aquatic resources in Attapeu revealed the
following:
(a) Aquatic resources are the main source of
animal protein in protein-poor diets.
(b) Aquatic resources are of particular importance for poorer households and for women.
(c) Harvesting aquatic resources is one of the
main coping strategies for periods of rice
shortage.
(d) There are, perhaps, no coping strategies for
periods of aquatic resource shortage now.
Given their importance to local livelihoods,
any degradation of wild water resources is likely
to have signifi cant impact. The potential for
reducing poverty and promoting sustainable
livelihoods through management of wild aquatic
resources is, perhaps, yet to be realised largely
in Lao PDR.
21.10 Chinese Wetlands
There are a large number of lentic bodies in
China. The total area of the wetlands in China
rank fi rst in Asia (Lu 1990 ; Chen 1995 ). China
has a wetland area of c 625,000 km
2 . Out of this,
c 250,000 km
2 is natural, while the rest are artifi -
cial, like the rice paddies and fi sh ponds. The
natural wetlands, thus, comprise about 2.5 % of
the country (Lu 1995 ). As done in the west, few
of the wetlands in China have been preserved in
semi-pristine condition as habitat alone. It is
important to note here that most of the wetlands
in China provide habitat for fi sh, cattle, duck,
grain and other food. They also provide habitat
and recreational benefi ts in a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. However, c 40 %
of the wetlands in China, which have been designated as wetlands of international importance,
are under moderate to severe threat due to their
conversion into agricultural land, increased siltation due to degradation of the catchment and
other factors, like pollution, overfi shing and
hunting. (Parish and Elliott 1990 ). Further, many
of the important wetlands of China are found in
the delta region of the Changjiang (Yangtze)
River, the Zhujiang (Pearl) River and the Liaohe
River. Very few natural wetlands have been left
out undisturbed in this area, because this region is
one of the most populated regions in the world.
21 Wetlands of Other Regions in Asia
low. Rates of health, nutrition and education are
poor, and State support services are limited. As
communications improve, pressures are growing
on natural resources.
21.9.1 How Is Food Security
Threatened
Inability to achieve food security was due to
decrease in fi sh stock and less water in the river.
During the implementation of the project, it
became clear that despite the villagers’ wish to
increase rice production, government support
was crucial in developing irrigation systems and
credits to buy livestock. In view of mainly economic constraints, the women have become
engaged in selling fi shes and livestock.
21.9.2 What Is the Solution?
WANI and its partners worked with local villagers to determine the nutritional value locked
in their wetland, in order to fi nd ways and
means for their better harnessing and conservation. Notably, the fi sheries of the Mekong wetlands are the single most important source of
animal protein for the people in this region.
The health of the people, their food security,
culture and economies are closely connected to
wetland fi sheries.
Although government agencies largely defi ne
food security in terms of rice security, the people
place equal importance on the harvest from their
fi sheries as well.
21.9.3 Nutritional Study Findings
Ricefi elds are, perhaps, the most widespread and
economically productive type of wetland in the
Mekong. While agricultural development focuses
on increasing rice productivity, the wild aquatic
resources in these fl oodplains and ricefi elds are
often overlooked. Assessment of the nutritional
role of aquatic resources in Attapeu revealed the
following:
(a) Aquatic resources are the main source of
animal protein in protein-poor diets.
(b) Aquatic resources are of particular importance for poorer households and for women.
(c) Harvesting aquatic resources is one of the
main coping strategies for periods of rice
shortage.
(d) There are, perhaps, no coping strategies for
periods of aquatic resource shortage now.
Given their importance to local livelihoods,
any degradation of wild water resources is likely
to have signifi cant impact. The potential for
reducing poverty and promoting sustainable
livelihoods through management of wild aquatic
resources is, perhaps, yet to be realised largely
in Lao PDR.
21.10 Chinese Wetlands
There are a large number of lentic bodies in
China. The total area of the wetlands in China
rank fi rst in Asia (Lu 1990 ; Chen 1995 ). China
has a wetland area of c 625,000 km
2 . Out of this,
c 250,000 km
2 is natural, while the rest are artifi -
cial, like the rice paddies and fi sh ponds. The
natural wetlands, thus, comprise about 2.5 % of
the country (Lu 1995 ). As done in the west, few
of the wetlands in China have been preserved in
semi-pristine condition as habitat alone. It is
important to note here that most of the wetlands
in China provide habitat for fi sh, cattle, duck,
grain and other food. They also provide habitat
and recreational benefi ts in a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. However, c 40 %
of the wetlands in China, which have been designated as wetlands of international importance,
are under moderate to severe threat due to their
conversion into agricultural land, increased siltation due to degradation of the catchment and
other factors, like pollution, overfi shing and
hunting. (Parish and Elliott 1990 ). Further, many
of the important wetlands of China are found in
the delta region of the Changjiang (Yangtze)
River, the Zhujiang (Pearl) River and the Liaohe
River. Very few natural wetlands have been left
out undisturbed in this area, because this region is
one of the most populated regions in the world.
21 Wetlands of Other Regions in Asia