Integrated constructed wetlands: water management as a land-use issue, implementing the 'Ecosystem Approach'

Awareness of the need for social, economic and environmental coherence in the management of water is becoming evermore apparent. Water supply as well as treatment is becoming more costly; a challenge that is not only limited to developing countries. The use of wetlands, natural and constructed, is n...

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Published inWater science and technology Vol. 63; no. 12; pp. 2929 - 2937
Main Authors Harrington, R, Carroll, P, Cook, S, Harrington, C, Scholz, M, McInnes, R J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England IWA Publishing 01.01.2011
Subjects
Agricultural management
Artificial wetlands
Biodiversity
Catchment area
Coherence
Conservation of Natural Resources - economics
Conservation of Natural Resources - methods
Conservation of Natural Resources - trends
Developing countries
Ecosystem
Ecosystem approach to fisheries
Freshwater
Ireland
Land use
Land use management
LDCs
Rural areas
Rural communities
Rural land use
Sustainability management
Water management
Water quality
Water supply
Water Supply - economics
Water Supply - standards
Wetland management
Wetlands
Ireland
Eire
ANE, Eire, Munster, Waterford
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Summary:Awareness of the need for social, economic and environmental coherence in the management of water is becoming evermore apparent. Water supply as well as treatment is becoming more costly; a challenge that is not only limited to developing countries. The use of wetlands, natural and constructed, is now more widely accepted as a means of tackling a range of problems in water management to deliver this coherence. The use of 16 Integrated Constructed Wetlands that mimic shallow, emergent-vegetated, palustrine wetlands in a 2,500 ha catchment in County Waterford, Southeast Ireland, has shown a number of distinct advantages in implementing the all encompassing 'Ecosystem Approach', addressing the key elements for sustainable water management in an intensively used agricultural area. The significant increase in water quality, biodiversity, social amenities and acceptance by the local rural community provided by this 'real' field-scale demonstration show the benefits that such a joined-up approach can have on catchment management in the widest sense.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.2166/wst.2011.591