In this book the authors argue for a paradigm shift in the way African wetlands are considered. Current policies and wetland management are too frequently underpinned by a perspective that views agriculture simply as a threat and disregards its important contribution to livelihoods. In rural areas where people are entrenched in poverty, wetlands (in particular wetland agriculture) have a critical role to play in supporting and developing peoples' livelihoods. Furthermore, as populations rise and climate change takes grip they will be increasingly important. The authors argue that an approach to wetland management that is much more people focused is required. That is an approach that instead of being concerned primarily with environmental outcomes is centred on livelihood outcomes supported by the sustainable use of natural wetland resources. The authors stress the need for Integrated Water Resource Management and landscape approaches to ensure sustainable use of wetlands throughout a river catchment and the need for wetland management interventions to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. They also assess the feasibility of creating incentives and value in wetlands to support sustainable use. Drawing on nine empirical case studies, this book highlights the different ways in which sustainable use of wetlands has been sought, each case focusing on specific issues about wetlands, agriculture and livelihoods.

This title was first published in 2003. There has been increasing recognition around the world that wetlands are fragile ecosystems which require sensitive and sustainable management if they are to continue to provide their range of functions and benefits. These functions and benefits, which include contributions to food security and environmental regulation, play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods in many developing countries. Drawing upon research carried out in the area, this book identifies and discusses the importance of wetlands to local communities in south-west Ethiopia, and in particular, how indigenous wetland management practices contribute to sustainable wetland use. As the basis of wetland management, particular attention is paid to the role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and how knowledge of wetland functioning is acquired, disseminated, developed and applied by local communities in their wetland management strategies. Critically, this community knowledge is examined in the context of scientific data, specifically that obtained from a wetland hydrology monitoring programme, thereby drawing attention to the strengths and weaknesses of both systems. This has major implications not only for the ways in which wetlands and other natural resources are managed at the local level, but also for the wider rural development strategies of governments and non-governmental organizations.

There is a growing appreciation of the natural functions of wetlands, as well as the values and different forms of uses that humans attach to them. In order to sustain their productivity, there is a need for wise-use and special conservation strategies. Wetlands are one of the most fruitful areas of archaeological research, and the ideal setting in which to study the interactions between physical processes and human actions that encapsulate and exemplify many of the themes of human impact on the environment. However, all the beneficial functions of wetlands seem to be in danger of being lost to draining and in-filling. With these factors in mind the main objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of indigenous knowledge and institutions in natural resource management for sustainable food security and rural livelihoods in Simuyu Basin, a sub-catchment of the Lake Victoria basin in Tanzania. The main focus was on wetland resources utilisation and how local people apply the knowledge and skills to actively manage their wetlands for poverty alleviation purposes.

There has been increasing recognition around the world that wetlands are fragile ecosystems which require sensitive and sustainable management if they are to continue to provide their range of functions and benefits. T hese functions and benefits, which include contributions to food security and environmental regulation, play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods in many developing countries. Drawing upon research carried out in the area, this book identifies and discusses the importance of wetlands to local communities in south-west Ethiopia, and in particular, how indigenous wetland management practices contribute to sustainable wetland use.

Climate change is a major challenge for life on Earth. It is mainly manifested through modifications of average temperature, rainfall intensity and patterns, winds and solar radiation. These modifications significantly affect basic resources, such as land and water resources. Populations at disproportionately higher risk of adverse consequences with global warming of 1.5°C and beyond include disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, some indigenous peoples, and local communities dependent on agricultural or coastal livelihoods (IPCC, 2018). Therefore, adaptation measures are recommended in order to cope with climate change. Indigenous peoples have developed practices for climate change adaptation, based on their long-term experience with adverse climatic effects. There was thus a need to identify such practices as they could be effectively mainstreamed in community-based adaptation programmes. This report makes an inventory of indigenous and community adaptation practices across the world. The inventory was mainly done through literature review, field work and meetings with selected organisations. The case studies documented are categorized in five technologies and practices themes, including: (1) Weather forecasting and early warning systems; (2) Grazing and Livestock management; (3) Soil and Water Management (including cross slope barriers); (4) Water harvesting (and storage practices); (5) Forest Management (as a coping strategy to water scarcity), and; (6) Integrated wetlands and fisheries management. These were then related to the corresponding main agro-ecological zones (AEZ), namely arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, humid, highlands and coastal and wetlands. The AEZ approach was considered as an entry-point to adopting or adapting an existing indigenous strategy to similar areas. Challenges that threaten the effectiveness of indigenous and community adaption strategies were identified. These challenges include climate change itself (which is affecting the indicators and resources used by communities), human and livestock population growth (which is increasing pressure on natural resources beyond their resilience thresholds), current institutional and political settings (which limit migrants’ movements and delimits pieces of usable land per household), cultural considerations of communities (such as taboos and spiritual beliefs), and the lack of knowledge transfer to younger communities. Indigenous knowledge provides a crucial foundation for community-based adaptation strategies that sustain the resilience of social-ecological systems at the interconnected local, regional and global scales. In spite of challenges and knowledge gaps, these strategies have the potential of being strengthened through the adoption and adaptation of introduced technology from other communities or modern science. Attention to these strategies is already being paid by several donor-funded organisations, although in an uncoordinated manner.