Wetland management

The largest and northern most full-scale system for wastewater irrigation of Salix plantations in Sweden.
The local community in Hedemora has long experience in producing biofuel from Salix plantations. The cooperation between Hedemora Energi AB and local farmers has resulted in irrigation of 75 acres of Salix Plantations. The local farmers in the project are guaranteed to sell their biofuel to the local municipal heating plant. As a result the project is contributing to the local production and consumption.

Since 2003 the waste water from the town of Trosa (about 4500 citizens) has been treated in artificial wetlands, after the basic treatment in the sewage plant. Thanks to the wetlands the Trosa river and the town bay have been spared from eutrophicating substances (plant nutrients) as well as contagious substances (pathogenes). Besides the value of purifying the water, the wetlands are a popular recreation area. The wetlands are used for education and many study visits are made here.

GRID-Arendal is a Norwegian foundation that supports the United Nations Environment Programme.  It is a centre of excellence for the scientific analysis of environmental issues in many areas including environmental assessments, ocean issues and polar regions.

Viresco Solutions is a consulting firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Its core business is greenhouse gas offset policy development and implementation, greenhouse gas emissions quantification, sustainable supply chain development, environmental offset methodology development, and providing technical assistance to others undertaking carbon offset project development. Its clients include industry and non-governmental associations, large private sector companies, and local, provincial and federal governments.

The Climate Technology Centre welcomed Amis de l'Afrique Francophone from Benin (AMAF-Benin) as its 400th Network member. This global network is comprised of technology experts from civil society, finance, the private sector and research institutions around the world.

Practical Action Consulting (PAC) is the consulting arm of Practical Action, an international non-governmental organisation that uses technology to challenge poverty in developing countries. Through technology PAC enables poor communities to build on their skills and knowledge to produce sustainable and practical solutions - transforming their lives forever and protecting the world around them. Every year PAC uses technology to help over 1 million people out of poverty.

This paper describes the challenges surrounding current and future water use in the tropical Andes by first reviewing the modern and future projected hydrological cycle and anticipated impacts on environmental services provided by glaciers and wetland vegetation. The discussion then elaborates on the current tensions and conflicts surrounding water use from a social and economic perspective and ends by focusing on the challenges ahead and looking at possible solutions for more sustainable and equitable future water use in the region.

A key cross sectoral challenge for Pakistan is to build a resilient interrelated socio economic and ecological system.

Despite the generally arid nature of Pakistan's climate, 10 per cent (780,000 ha) of the total surface area of the country is covered by wetlands which are of global importance (GOP, IUCN and WWF, 2000). Due to growing population pressures and habitat loss exacerbated by climate change, the wetlands are facing increasing pressures.

IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (Research Institute for Development) - is a research organization based in France that is working with its partners in the South to address international development issues. Improving health, understanding social changes, and protecting the environment are the main pillars of its work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). IRD work includes interdisciplinary scientific research, capacity building and nurturing innovation in more than fifty countries worldwide. 

The conversion of wetlands to agriculture through drainage and flooding, and the burning of wetland areas for agriculture have important implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) production and changing carbon stocks. However, the estimation of net GHG changes from mitigation practices in agricultural wetlands is complex compared to dryland crops. Agricultural wetlands have more complicated carbon and nitrogen cycles with both above- and below-ground processes and export of carbon via vertical and horizontal movement of water through the wetland.