Some people write the greatness of wetlands for soil carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Others dictate the potential of wetlands for rice cultivation. Many countries in Asian continent uses rice (which is cultivated in wetlands) as their staple food. Thus, which use of wetlands is recommended? How to compromise these benefits?
I would like to retain 60% of wetlands without human interference and use 40% for rice cultivation to combat hunger in the lands and prevent idleness due to unemployment. The rice cultivation would provide job opportunities, produce income and development revenue. The rice husks can be raw materials for other development industries.
I would like to retain 60% of wetlands without human interference and use 40% for rice cultivation to combat hunger in the lands and prevent idleness due to unemployment. The rice cultivation would provide job opportunities, produce income and development revenue. The rice husks can be raw materials for other development industries.
Dear Dr Wessey, thanks a lot. You said you "retain 60% of wetlands without human interference and use 40% for rice cultivation to combat hunger". Evidence??
We have had large swamp rice cultivation in many areas of Yenagoa and Oporoma in present Bayelsa State of Nigeria. There are wetland farms at Odi. Wetlands can be used for swamp very benefiting rice cultivation.
Dr Wessey,
Do you mean both uses are highly important but give much area for wetland protection as it highly governs environmental sustainability?
Dear Birhanu,
It is difficult to find a "fit all" rule to solve this problems. I would say......It depends! It depends on population growth and pressure to secure affordable and nutritious rice. It depends on the scale of rice production and methods (traditional/ecological versus conventional). The bottom line is that we need to protect wetlands around the world for a variety of reasons and ecological services they provide, as you mentioned in your question. It remains ultimately, the responsibility of specific governments and stakeholders to strive for a good balance between wetlands conservation and crop production.
Dr Bruno justified it well. I know both (wetland protection and its use for cultivation) are important. However, choosing one from the two options is a must. Our choose from the two options depends on different factors such as availability of wetlands, environmental impact of wetland cultivation, and food security.
If choose from the two options is impossible, we need to think about how to compromise the two uses? What ecologically viable rice production techniques may save ecological services of wetlands? Unless we clearly answer these questions, human interference is NOT WITHOUT ecological disturbance.
If protected, it must have some use to the community such as recreational. Use for cultivation could also be a must, but I recommend with the best management possible. So look for a balance from different perspectives.
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