Regional management of water resources, edited by A. H. Schumann, M. C. Acreman, R. Davis, M. A. Marino, D. Rosbjerg and Xia Jun. IASH Press, Wallingford, 2001. ISBN 1 901502 51 1 (paperback), viii +256pp. Impact of human activity on groundwater dynamics, edited by H. Gerels, N. E. Peters, E. Hoehn, K. Jensen, C.Leibundgut, J. Griffioen, B. Webb and W. J. Zaadnoordijk. IASH Press, Wallingford, 2001. ISBN 1 901502 56 2 (paperback), x+369pp

✍ Scribed by D. A. Thompson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 37 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1085-3278
• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.539

✦ Synopsis

elements as fisheries support and a wide range of pharmaceutical products obtained from the associated biodiversity, as well as other benefits to human communities.

Part 4 deals with the management of peatland resources, examining the values and impacts of modern human activity as well as the options for management and restoration of damaged peatlands. Charman identifies the dialogue on the 'wise use' of peatlands currently being promoted through the Ramsar Convention and bringing together the often divergent and conflicting interests of the peat conservation and development interests, as critical for the future of the remaining global peatland resource. In practice, that future rests more with the actual social, economic and political balances which operate differently across the world.

Peatlands and Environmental Change is to be highly recommended to those seeking a sound state of the art scientific understanding of these sensitive ecosystems. It will be particularly welcomed by many taking higher education courses in geography, biology, geology and other natural scientists as essential reading. Peatland managers will also find useful source and reference material in the text. While this is a technically comprehensive book I do hope that in a second edition it will be possible to give further insight into the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of peatlands. This is critical in particular to tropical peatland issues and central to the debate on development versus conservation. Understanding the science is important, but it is the link from science to societal choice which will determine peatland futures.