Waterlogged Wealth

Waterlogged Wealth was first published in 1986 and did much to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands to people, wildlife, and environmental quality, despite the limitations of appropriate scientific research at that time. The last twenty years has witnessed a dramatic increase in the technical knowledge of how wetlands work. They are among the world's most productive ecosystems; they support fisheries and provide protection from floods and storm surges. Wetlands are pollution filters and they recharge aquifers. They provide essential habitats to endangered plants and animals.Despite the wealth of scientific information which argues for the conservation, protection, and wise use of the world's wetland resources, they are still being destroyed at an alarming rate. This new edition examines the various functions, benefits, and challenges of wetlands. The approach is multidisciplinary and deals with natural science, social science, and political aspects of wetland management. It benefits from the personal experience of the author worldwide and adds highly topical examples including the marshlands of Southern Iraq to updates on the already extensive range of material from different parts of the globe.