2 Wetland Futures Report 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands
Executive Summary
Wetland Futures brings together people from a wide
range of sectors involved in wetland management,
practice and policy. It provides a forum for disseminating
information, showcasing best practice, debate and
discussion, and to strengthen the delivery of wetland
conservation in the UK. The 2013 event celebrated the
multiple benefits wetlands can provide, whilst at the same
time recognised challenges and opportunities that the
current political and economic climate presents us with.
Collectively there is much valuable expertise in
creating, managing, and restoring wetlands and effort in
demonstrating how this benefits wildlife, the economy
and society in the UK. To build on this knowledge
and meet our ambitions of more and better protected
wetlands, we need to work more effectively and
efficiently, in partnerships, at larger scales and with a
range of stakeholders to realise the benefits wetlands
can achieve.
The conference highlighted a clear suite of challenges.
As an organisation committed to the conservation of
wetlands we ask the reader to work with us towards
better valuing the benefits of healthy wetlands so that
wetland conservation can move progressively forward
over the coming year.
(1) We need to create a ‘safe space’ for different
sectors to work together using a ‘common language’
to identify progressive ways forward for wetland
conservation that benefit all.
(2) We need to better communicate case studies, new
tools and good practice as examples of how we have
helped make the connections between wetland values
and people’s lives, communicating this in a way that
different audiences understand.
(3) In two years time we need to have improved our
engagement and influence with politicians and decision
makers so that they understand the importance and
value of water and wetlands.
The speakers gave us insight into industry and private
sector perspectives and presented a number of
inspirational case studies such as the Great Fen project
and the Tweed Forum. Wetland Futures 2013 highlighted
the importance of good and timely communications, and
that we’ve a long way to go in this endeavour. By using
the right language, we can help other sectors such as
land managers and planners see the benefits of healthy
wetlands more clearly. We did not have all the answers
and we undoubtedly face challenging times ahead, but
Wetland Futures 2013 helped to demonstrate that there
is also cause for optimism. The wetland community is a
thriving, energetic place containing valuable knowledge
and experience, creative ideas for the future and
great examples of partnership working. We hope that
Wetland Futures will be a key forum through which these
opportunities can be seized, as well as shaped and
influenced by our collective voice.
If you have any thoughts, comments or suggestions
regarding Wetland Futures and how it is taken forward,
please send them to
Children playing on mudflats, Llanelli
photo: Richard Taylor-Jones
