This book contains detailed case studies of wetland management worldwide. It presents examinations of international wetland policy in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, generating a discussion of the differences between wetland management issues in developed and developing countries and suggesting strategies for the future of wetland management. Key themes addressed in the case studies include the tradeoffs between sustainable use of wetlands for food, fuel, and fiber versus the protection of ecosystem diversity and stability, and the respective roles of big international NGO's, national and regional government, and local community-based organizations when faced with wetland management issues.

Richard C. Smardon is professor of Environmental Studies at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. He has held titles there as Chair of the Faculty and Director of the Graduate Program, and is also the former director of the Randolph G. Pack Environmental Institute.