Exploring Methods for Sharing Wetland Knowledge and Identifying Future Needs and Solutions
Authors: Paul Swapan 
Published: December 2023

Successful management of wetlands is increasingly making more use of traditional and contemporary community knowledge of wetlands in addition to the knowledge obtained from scientific investigations (Ens et al. 2012; Pyke et al. 2018). For this to happen, wetland managers need ways to tap into such knowledge, including respecting protocols around ownership of and access to such knowledge, and appreciating its value. However, at the same time the rapid advancement of science and technology and changes in societal values has led to the loss of valuable traditional knowledge, or such knowledge being ignored in favor of an over-reliance on modern scientific techniques. Mechanisms available through wetland centres (Finlayson 2018; Gevers et al. 2018), education outreach initiatives (Finlayson et al. 2013) and engagement with schools (M. Bartlett 2019, pers. comm.) go some way towards tapping into the value of these knowledge sources. However, much more is needed if the mutual benefits that can come from sharing knowledge are to be realized. This is more the case with the intensification of the threats to wetlands from climate change and sea level rise, invasive non-native species, and pollution. Given the difficulties associated with managing wetlands and ensuring there are sufficient funds to both collect and make use of contemporary scientific information, having access to knowledge provided by local communities may prove invaluable when addressing the harmful outcomes from these phenomena, in addition to assisting with efforts to ensure local communities are effectively engaged in wetland management. There have been many successful cases where traditional and community knowledge have been used alongside contemporary scientific practices for managing wetlands (Carbonell et al. 2001; Ens et al. 2012: Pyke et al 2018), but unless these are extended and expanded in time and space we fear that current high rates of wetland loss and degradation (Darrah et al. 2019; McInnes et al. 2020; Simpson et al. 2021) will continue. One way of contributing to the effort to ensure that these approaches are extended and expanded is to explore and develop effective methods for sharing knowledge between local communities, wetland researchers, and managers. This could start with the increasing sources of knowledge about the values and benefits derived from wetlands as well as that about management responses to the pressing problems for wetland management. The latter are well known, and yet, continue, with steps to stop and reverse wetland loss and degradation being acknowledged as insufficient (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). As part of ongoing programs run through organizations such as the Sydney Olympic Park Authority in Australia and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the United Kingdom (UK) a symposium on Methods for Sharing Wetland Knowledge and Exploring Future Needs and Solutions was held at the INTECOL International Wetland Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand in October 2021. The symposium had three objectives, namely to: 1) explore the wealth and usefulness of traditional and community knowledge about wetlands; 2) identify gaps in knowledge-sharing tools, techniques and mechanism; and 3) explore ways forward. The symposium was intended to revisit the effectiveness of current approaches and programs in wetland awareness, education and training, and suggest measures for future improvements. It was further expected that in the future there would also be an emphasis on newer communication approaches, such as webinars and twitter conferences, alongside traditional and local community knowledge, which in themselves are based on having participatory approaches to ensure knowledge is shared in an open way. Provided below is an overview of the key issues that were included in the presentations in the symposium.