Open Access Research Article
CHALLENGES OF WETLAND CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF WOMEN- A LEGAL STUDY.
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CHALLENGES
OF WETLAND CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF WOMEN- A LEGAL STUDY.
Abstract
Wetlands are areas of land that are
temporarily or permanently covered with water. They can be natural or
artificial (or man-made), freshwater or brackish, and include bogs, fens,
swamps, marshes, floodplains, and shallow lakes. Wetlands perform several
functions, including flood and erosion control, water purification, and
shoreline stabilization. However, we are confronted with the problem of wetland
loss due to several anthropogenic activities, such as pollution, hunting, human
settlement, agricultural drainage, fishing, wood cutting, watershed
degradation, soil erosion, siltation, and diversion of water supplies. This is
partly due to a lack of awareness about the important functions performed by
wetlands. Greater attention to the protection of wetlands and evolving
difficulties within these ecosystems prompted worldwide countries to intensify
their wetland restoration efforts. The design of systematic and holistic
protection for wetlands should aim to address all challenges within important
natural resources as a complete solution. Wetlands serve as the exclusive
ecosystem that multiple parts of the world’s nations have separately ratified
through the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat, 1971 (Ramsar Convention). There are various efforts at the international
and domestic level for the conservation of wetlands. Wetlands Conservation draws
strength from the Constitutional spirit under Article 51-A (g). This Paper is a
humble attempt to assess the role of Women in the Conservation of Wetlands.
Keywords- Wetlands, Wetland Conservation, Role of women,
Challenges to Wetland Conservation
I. Introduction
Wetlands, a complex ecosystem, are
vital in fulfilling the earth’s needs. Such dynamic and universal spaces are
characterized by permanent or temporary water availability to support different
plant and animal life forms. Wetlands exist in diverse types, including
marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, and estuaries, all unique in their functions.
Today, wetlands are more appreciated
and acknowledged as vital and inalienable parts of the natural environment,
playing multiple roles in maintaining and supporting a healthy and balanced biosphere.
Wetlands encompass distinct ecosystems
with unique characteristics, functions, and vital roles within the broader
ecosystem. Examples of the varied wetland types include marshes, swamps, bogs,
fens, and estuaries.
Wetlands perform many vital functions
critical for the overall health and resilience of the natural environment and
human societies. These dynamic and multifunctional ecosystems play a central
role in regulating water cycles, filtering and purifying water, sequestering
carbon, mitigating the impacts of floods and storms, and supporting rich
biodiversity. Besides these vital regulatory roles, wetlands are famous for their
highly diverse population, representing significant habitat and sources of
food, shelter, and nourishment for numerous kinds of plant and animal species
among which there are millions of threatened and endangered species. The
inhabitants of wetlands including the birds of different classes, small animals
right up to the big predators all have interdependent relationships within the
web thus underlining the significance of wetlands in supporting the health and
balance in ecological systems.
Wetlands are one of the world's most
important ecosystems and suffer various issues mainly caused by people. There
is pressure to convert moist areas to farming, industries, or other forms of
production and settlement, because of the escalating population which requires labor,
capital, and resources. It leads to the loss of important natural habitats and
the essential ecosystem functions of wetlands, namely water purification, flood
regulation and mitigation, carbon sequestration, storage, and fixation
functions. Further, agricultural drainage, industrial effluent, sewage, and
deteriorating urban waste pollution also affect wetlands' quality and health.
II. Conservation of Wetlands
The importance of wetlands and the
many difficulties they experience as important ecosystems in the modern world
have resulted in more focus on their conservation and restoration by the
world's countries. Notably, there is a need to design sound wetland management
and protection holistically and systematically to address all the problems
facing wetlands hence capturing all aspects of the important natural resources.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change functions as the central department that leads all aspects
of wetlands conservation through policy development and implementing programs. The
Wetlands Division operates within the Ministry as the hub that manages various
initiatives regarding wetlands. The conservation of wetlands finds its support
in India’s successful history of environmental protection that exists through
different policies, legislations, and regulatory regimes. The Indian Constitution
encapsulates this spirit in Article 51-A (g), stating that “it shall be the
duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment
including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for
living creatures.” The National Environment Policy of 2006 sets out particular
policy actions for managing wetlands. According to the National Environment
Policy of 2006, freshwaters include wetlands as components which need
developmental planning integration and prudent use management strategies for
protection alongside ecotourism promotion and regulatory rule enforcement. The
Indian Forest Act of 1927 together with the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of
1972 establishes regulatory requirements for wetlands situated in forest
estates and safeguard areas. Substantive legal and regulatory conditions for
Indian wetlands conservation exist through the Indian Fisheries Act, of 1897
the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, of 1974, and the
Biological Diversity Act, of 2002. The National Wildlife Action Plan
(2017-2031) of India includes inland aquatic ecosystem conservation as its 17
priority objective. The National Wetlands Mission along with a National
Wetlands Biodiversity Register represent two main objectives within the 17
priority areas as outlined in key interventions. Wetland conservation and
sustainable management appear within the National Water and Green
India Mission of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Various centrally implemented rules
and regulations give protection to wetlands. Every wetland inside forests or
protected areas maintains legal protection through provisions in the Indian
Forest Act 1927 together with the Forest Conservation Act 1980 and the Indian
Wildlife Protection Act 1972. MoEF&CC created Wetlands (Conservation and
Management) Rules, 2017 under the provisions of the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986. The main policy and regulatory authority in States/UTs
exists through State/UT Wetland Authorities established under provisions in
these Rules.
III.
Historical Perspective of Women’s Involvement in Conservation
Understanding why women are involved
in conservation requires looking at the past. Women have always played a part
in this field, however, their efforts have often been forgotten. Historical
conservation records have failed to acknowledge the influence of women because
their roles have been hidden.[3]
Events from history reveal the roles played in conservation. For example,
Beatrix Potter in the United Kingdom realized how women’s traditional duties,
as healers and botanists could help with conservation efforts.[4]
Until the century, in the United States of America, American women held control
over their territories. They held significant power within the Haudenosaunee
Confederacy by influencing decisions related to war and peace as well as
choosing male leaders for their communities' governance system. A saddening
turn of events following the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920
in the USA marked a downturn, in women’s rights, putting their lands at risk.[5]
A similar phenomenon has been
observed in some areas in Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific where Western
countries invaded and the rights of women, including those to land ownership as
well as the control of the land, have been suppressed with the sovereignty of
the male developed nations.[6]
Two notable areas that have defied the rule and remain independent of the
nation in which they are contained are the Kuna of Panama and the Khasi of
India, both of which are Indigenous tribes. Among the Kuna is a well-developed
and ancient structure of land rights and leadership belonging to women.[7] In
the Khasi community, which has a matrilineal lineage system, property, and
social setup are controlled by female members. During a period of social
crisis, women cannot allow a male to cohabit with them who does not contribute
positively to the betterment of the whole clan.[8]
Due to British colonization, major overhauls in the Khasi only started to
happen in the early half of the twentieth century.[9]
IV.
Role of Women in Conservation of Wetland
There is no shortage of evidence and
research showing just how important women have been in protecting the
environment. Nevertheless, there is a significant need to enhance knowledge of
the specific processes women implement in their strenuous work of conserving
and protecting wetlands.[10] Therefore,
a thorough understanding of their exceptional significance in this realm is
necessary if we are to develop the best possible approach to protecting
wetlands. Women, especially those embedded in local communities across the
country, are doing a lot of stuff every day to save wetlands, and this has to
be acknowledged.[11] Their extraordinary
dedication and effort act as catalysts and inspire more sustainable behavior in
areas concerned with environmental conservation.
Nearly 50% of the population is
female. In many countries, women contribute in fisheries occupations as fishers
which account for important parts of local communities and indigenous people.
These women depend on natural resources for their living and as a primary
source of nutrition.
Shocking figures now show that in the
last 200 years, human activity has destroyed at least 60% of ecological
wetlands. This devastation underscores the pressing need for a global,
inclusive strategy to safeguard and rebuild these priceless ecosystems. It is
important to note that in achieving this objective, there is a need to
appreciate the role of women in wetland conservation. Women bring invaluable knowledge
and experiences that will enable sustainable strategies for wetland
conservation.
Many times, women's involvement in
different environmental management activities ensures conservation outcomes and
the long-term success of institutions governing the environment.
Rural women are known as the
‘custodians of nature’ because of their gender-defined roles in agriculture and
their high dependence on ecosystems for water, firewood, medicine, and other goods.
They gather, grow, and harvest many resources within the wetland itself or from
areas directly surrounding it.[12] In
many parts of Africa, women control the allocation of resources. Ensuring that
women's views and perspectives are taken into account and their involvement in
planning and implementation may mean the conservation of not only a small
portion of land but of the whole wetland ecosystem.[13]
This is another reason to justify why women should be involved.
V. Initiatives by Women for Conservation
of Wetland
A dedicated and passionate group of
women in Ecuador united with a common purpose to protect necessary resources
and support the cause of preserving the splendid mangrove wetlands on Muisne
Island. These wetlands are ecologically precious because they are located in
the Choco Endemic Bird Area of Ecuador which is known for its biodiversity. The
group actively integrated the island’s community by keenly devising an
inventive and systematic approach to the mangroves' conservation plan. They
worked continuously and effectively to protect the important wetland and sustain
the lives of the community, which included fishing and the collection of
shellfish at the same time. These remarkable women came up with unique ideas
and found a perfect balance to conserve and sustain natural resources thus creating
a powerful sense of collective endeavour among people in the society.[14]
Indian Context
In the world, India is recognized as
one of the mega-biodiversity hotspots and one of the leading ten countries with
the greatest wetland area.[15]
Wetlands are very productive ecosystems but in the recent past, there has been
serious encroachment due to factors such as urbanization, industrialization,
increase in population, inadequate and unsustainable agricultural activities,
and improper and unplanned development.[16] To
maintain the quality of the environment, different policies and acts have been
framed by the Indian Government to conserve wetlands and improve the lives of
native people and their livelihood.[17] Everyone
does conservation of wetlands but women who are more so in the rural areas are
usually overlooked.[18]
India’s rural women are the strength
of the Indian economy as they are involved in protecting and improving the
quality and productivity of wetland resources.[19]
Despite challenges such as illiteracy, social status, inability to participate
in decision-making, and financial dependency, Indian women have participated in
several successful wetlands conservation stories.[20] Even
though women’s efforts might look insignificant on a large scale, women are
significant stewards of water resources, and habitats, and advocates, educators,
and architects for the future environment. Some of the successful Indian women-led
initiatives undertaken to conserve wetlands at the grassroots level are as
follows:
·
At
Bhormandal Wetland situated 30 km far from Udaipur, problems like scarcity of
potable water and reduction in the frequency of fish catch because of large
growth of weeds were observed. From this wetland, about 350 fisher families
depend on their food and source of income. Jeendari women fishers organized
themselves into a cooperative society to exploit the wetland resources to use
them sustainably. They acquired scientific information on biocontrol and
motorized fishing, training on biocontrol, motorized fishing, proper gears,
securing and buying a weed harvester through bank loans, and developing a
regular weed harvesting program. The kind of equipment that was used increased
the fish catches from 300-400 kilograms per day to 1200 kilograms per day,
meaning an increase in income from Rupees 6000 to Rupees 25000. Five other
wetlands copied this innovation and the Women Cooperative Society received an
award in Innovation at the International Fair.
·
Vembanad
Lake, the second largest wetland system in India after the Sunderbans in West
Bengal, is gradually reducing its area, and the ecology of the area, which has
biological richness, is in danger, although it was declared a Ramsar site almost
20 years ago.
The lifeline of farmers
of Kuttanad and fisherfolk are deprived of ecological justice yet again as the
lake has been a victim of pollution and unauthorized constructions on its rim.
Experts suggest that there should be ‘committed efforts’ to protect the wetland
ecosystem of the lake. As indicated by ecological specialists and different
research conducted starting from the development of the lake to the present
time, the lake is facing serious environmental degradation due to the current
issues of floods, pollution, decreased water speed coverage, and overgrown
weeds.[21]
The women living around Vembanad Lake are using creative ways to reduce plastic
in the wetland. They turn water hyacinth, an invasive and destructive species
to wetlands into useful items like handmade paper and woven products. To reduce
plastic pollution in the lake, women use menstrual cloth pads. They also use
recycled and upcycled cloth to make beautiful bags as an alternative to
single-use plastic bags. The organization Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and the Environment has successfully facilitated and capacitated women in the
lake’s nearby communities to protect Vembanad Lake and its estuaries and also
to secure their livelihoods.[22]
·
Ganga
Rajput, the 30-year-old is a resident of Chaudhary Khera, a village in Madhya
Pradesh’s portion of the dry Bundelkhand region infamous for its dusty
environment and water scarcity. To her credit, she helps to revive the talab
(village pond) which she and the women in the village restored after it had
been empty for many years.
Some women changemakers in the world
of Wetlands are:
Elise Allely-Ferme- She is the Director of Conservation
Pronatura Mexico, a Mexican civil society organization working for nature
conservation since 1979. Elise has a decade of experience in nature
conservation, climate change mitigation, and, integrated water management, specializing
in the latter.[23]
Before her work at Pronatura Mexico,
Elise applied her knowledge at the Australian Rivers Institute where she helped
design an ecological monitoring framework for conservation projects and Ramsar
Sites in Australia. She also co-established “Youth Engaged in Wetlands (YEW)”,
an international youth forum that promotes youth and elders’ partnership in the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. As part of YEW, Elise documented young people’s
involvement in wetlands conservation and strived to ensure that their
engagement is enshrined in Ramsar Convention procedures; this led to the
adoption of the youth resolution with support from the governments of Australia
and Costa Rica and civil society actors. Her journey in the field of
environmental activism began with her employment at the Ramsar Convention
Secretariat in Switzerland where she aided its enactment. She also directed ecological
education activities in the Regional Natural Park of Cotentin and Bessin
Marshes in France. Her passion was born during her time in Mali where she saw
the difficulties of getting clean water for herself. This realization was
cemented during her time in Switzerland where she started noticing the
inequalities in water and sanitation. While in the UK, her academic work
focused on water use behaviors and water management in areas that experience
water scarcity, showing her passion for water equity.
Elise’s career path and exposure to
different facets of conservation have allowed her to develop a rich and
valuable understanding of the issues and processes that define the field,
giving her a significant advantage in the fight for the environment.
Dayana Blanco Quiroga—She is an Indigenous Aymara woman
from Bolivia and a driving force behind the Uru Uru Team, a grassroots
initiative dedicated to restoring Uru Uru Lake in central western Bolivia. This
important project reflects on the complex issues arising from mining and its
impact, plastic pollution, and climate change on the lake's ecosystem and its
effects on the indigenous populations living around it.[24]
With Ramsar status, Uru Uru Lake is a
remarkable source of local and global ecological value as a producer ecosystem
and sanctuary of numerous plant and animal beings, such as Flamingos. It also
supports the means of living for over seven indigenous populations in the area.
Encouraged by the Restoration
Stewards’ network, Blanco decided it was time to share her community’s
restoration experience with the rest of the world. That is why, the Uru Uru
Team, aims to restore the lake by implementing nature-based solutions,
including water rafts made of recycled materials and decorated with local
plants, like totoras.
Now being a Restoration Steward,
Blanco is ready to help her Indigenous People tell their story of restoration
within their community as well as on an international level. On these various
platforms, she wants to share their efforts such as growing the use of the
floating rafts, setting forums for community discussions, and promoting
Civilian visible campaigns against violent extractive mining. Further, intending
to build up the capacity of resilience, the community tries to care for a
community garden.
Blanco’s participation as a
Restoration Steward signifies a collaborative endeavor to restore Uru Uru Lake
and foster sustainable coexistence with nature. Together with her fellow
stewards, she embarks on a collective journey to safeguard the lake’s
ecological heritage and uphold the rights of Indigenous communities for a
harmonious future.
VI.
Challenges faced by Women in Wetland Conservation
Women, while participating in both
conserved and degraded wetlands, experience barriers similar to those of women
in other fields of conservation, climate change, and development.[25]
The conservation community admits that to preserve wetlands, it is necessary to
stop gender stereotyping regarding women as a user of wetland resources only.[26] It
also demeans their roles besides erecting human impediments to conservation,
which, must be opened up if conservation is to bring about genuine change. Further,
a lot of community-based natural resource management perspectives tend to see
women as instruments rather than agents in these frameworks.[27] Hence,
development practitioners have to include women in practices for conserving biological
diversity and mitigating climate change. In addition, processes of mainstreaming
or commercializing wetland management, by bringing traditional wetland
management practices into the commercial domain or integrating them into
international environmental regimes disregard the leadership of women in
wetland management.[28]
On the other hand, the profiled program implementers and decision-makers are
mainly male individuals.
1. Societal Norms and Gender Stereotypes
The traditional family beliefs and
practices entrenched in conventional gender roles and sex role stereotypes eradicated
the interests of the female conservationists, relegating the decision-making
process solely into the hands of the men. Women are perceived as being frail,
the male-dominated state has in the past considered them incapable of making
good decisions regarding conservation. The thinking pattern has always been
that if a woman is to be in a decision-making role in conservation either some
male from her household would make the decisions or at best she would only make
insignificant attempts at this.[29] Likewise,
while men believe they have proper roles in wetlands conservation to act as
leaders, they suppress disagreements by marginalizing women who take part in
conservation as masculine.[30]
Therefore, it is important to come up
with approaches geared towards attitude change which is in availing well-gathered
and effectively spread information on increased participation in conservation.
If taken positively such a move will provide an opportunity for more women conservationists
to bring to the outcome conviction, integrity, and empathy in the course of
seeking support from all stakeholders on conservation-related matters.[31]
2. Limited Access to Resources and
Decision-making Power
Female producers face greater
impediments to acquiring basic resources than their male counterparts, which
encompasses both the official financial networks, capacity upgrades, relevant
information, extension services related to the environment, as well as
conservation support services. The lack of women in many decision-making posts
plays a big role in the lack of the female perspective. For instance, they do
not have equal representation on local councils and village resource management
structures or national/international policy-making organs. Such a
representation is a sign of systematic prejudice and minority treatment. It is
also because of the existing cultural beliefs that have placed women out of
several economic, social, cultural, and political realms.[32]
The ensuing policies, programs, and projects that are developed, often as not,
do not have due regard for the requirements to serve the special needs of
women. Gender-based involvement can be done effectively to help correct this
problem.
3. Safety and Security Risks
The security and safety of women are
the major concerns of the nation. South Africa’s high rates of spousal and
partner abuse, and especially femicide, show just how bad the problem is. These
challenges are further by the fact that South Africa is dubbed as one of the most
dangerous countries in the world apart from war-affected nations.[33]
4. Lack of Recognition and
Representation
Female work in wetland conservation
may remain unrecognized or underappreciated by many stakeholders. This
invisibility begins with a silence where no information could explain women’s
activities but carries on to women’s non-attendance in critical meetings,
publications, and training on conservation.[34]
5. Intersectionality and Multiple Forms
of Discrimination
Gender inequalities have been
documented, consistently, in literature on social equity and conservation
concerning access to natural resources and opportunities for participation in
environmental decision-making processes. Some have said cultural specifics of
gender roles and obligations make it difficult for women to get involved and
thus where such roles and obligations are seen as hindering opportunities for
women’s involvement and so hinder equity. [35]However,
even such accounts are already in danger of naturalizing a singular “woman”, in
reality, women, like men are not one homogeneous group, and differences of
race, class, age, sexual orientation, ability, and so on- help to configure the
experience of gender. The notion of intersectionality has been developed in the
social sciences as a response to such an approach. It is described as a method
that determines the way various structures of oppression affect those who are
at the bottom of society’s hierarchy.
VII.
Strategies and Solutions
In this domain, women's participation
is as old as the first existence of habitat conservation, but women's
liberation was enlightened after half a century. Having women participate in
the development process is not a reality if one fails to assess the hurdles
women face and in the process look for solutions or even likely feasible
solutions. Each of these challenges and structural deficits is addressed in
strategies and solutions.
·
Empowerment and Capacity Building- Establishing mechanisms that enhance the training and
educating of women in wetlands and conservation.
Centering some campaigns on the fact that confidence of women
needed to be boosted.
·
Promoting inclusivity and a ‘together’ approach- Engage women in encouraging the
participation of other women.
Adopt gender sensitivity while implementing existing
conservation and community-based projects taking leading roles in speaking out
on gender issues.
·
Advocacy- Put
gender equality on the list of priorities of extant tale conservation
organizations, and support it by policies.
Set good working examples of gender diversity and equality in
the field of conservation and management.
·
Networking- Organise
career contacts and other opportunities both in and out of the workplace so
that women can create connections and learn from one another.
·
Research—Increase
the focus on acknowledging the actual state of affairs regarding women's issues.
Empowerment and Capacity Building
There is still a strong focus on the
imperativeness of increasing women’s ability to promote their participation. A
study shows that effective capacity-building can enhance women's opportunities
by raising awareness, competence, and morale of participation across different
sectors. [36]Out of
all the activities, training sessions and workshops have been identified as contributing
much to building women's capacity at the individual and community levels. Many
examples exist, including calls for pairing male mentors with female employees
in marine biology and local resource management fields.[37] Moreover,
the extended discussion of capacity building in different spheres especially in
other countries, emphasizes that community and educational programs for women
should be seen as effective and unique opportunities to engage women in
planning and decision-making processes.[38]
Promoting Gender Equality and
Inclusivity in Conservation Programs
Mainstream gender in conservation and
sustainable development through designing and implementing policies to enhance
the participation of females and males with equivalent probability for conserving
and sustainable use of resources.[39]
Yet initiatives are likely to be more effective, sustainable, and have further
positive impacts in the designated communities if women too are involved in the
conservation planning and the actual process.[40]
Advocacy and Policy Change
For women to be given a chance to
participate in resource use decision making they have to come out and fight for
their rights. This will involve in the first instance having a good
appreciation among the women of what entry points and strategies are open to
them. Advocacy can contribute most in the sense that it keeps the issues of
concern to women in the policy concern.[41] Therefore,
to convince policymakers that there is a need to address gender issues in
wetland work, awareness of such issues is the most advisable course of action.
Advocacy is always easier if it is done in partnership with other people. One
group must build partnerships with other groups whenever and wherever interests
overlap.
The best way to address the issue of women’s
concerns within the policy arena is by demanding changes that interest all or
the general women category like property rights. If many are impacted then
clearly such issues will enter the policy mainstream earlier and will need the
response of the policy-makers controlling the sector.
Collaboration and Networking
Why does collaborative work matter? A
group that has five or 50000 people can present at the same bargaining table so
supporting each other cannot be suppressed. This is why alliances and forming
networks (organizations and community groups that are genuinely diverse) have
emerged. The women using these guidelines are in the Wetland Women groups.
These groups push the voices of women through different organizations at global
and regional levels. These women are perhaps lower risk than one woman when
promoting their work or defending the need for a gender-focused approach.[42]
Research and Data Collection on
Gender Disparities
Research and data collection are the
necessary first steps to understanding the disparities and challenges of gender
equality concerning wetland conservation. The data systems in place should be
gender aware so that they analyze issues in a gendered way for the benefit of policymakers
and program managers who need to systematically track and review their
performance. It is also needed to set the starting position and then the amount
of progress or the amount of loss. An original investigation needs to be
carried out to quantify impedances, perceptions, culture, and socio-economic
factors equivalent to ascertained needs. There are several advantages to
conducting gender-sensitive research. Projects or policies can be implemented
to address the unique needs and priorities of women. It makes sense to share
the results of the research with communities, policymakers, and politicians to
give impetus to activities and promote appropriate attitudes.
VIII. Conclusion and Recommendations
In every country of the world, women
are very active in wetlands conservation. However, while we know the importance
of both women and wetlands as crucial elements for sustainable development, the
integral role of women in wetland communities is still relatively poorly
understood. The central value of women in projects of integrated conservation
and use of wetlands is frequently ignored. This ignorance not only adds a
disadvantage to the proper implementation of successful conservation as well as
interferes with the inherent human rights of women. In line with this fact, it needs
to be underlined here that, women should be encouraged to participate fully, in
the integrated conservation and use of the wetlands.
To summarize the most important of
these roles: firstly, women directly participate in preserving wetlands with
their consumption of domestic goods as well as utilizing natural resources such
as water, food, and non-food products including construction materials, fuel,
medicine, tools, clothes, and so on. It is customary across most cultures that
resource accumulation and resource processing are, in most cases, under the
dominion of women in a family. This task usually implies a tremendous workload
and also includes a vast, practical Civil Service and working experience. When
land use is carried out along with sustainability criteria, women bear the main
concern as far as the family’s food is concerned.
Secondly, women guarantee the
preservation of the cultural significance of the wetlands. Traditionally, they,
especially as mothers, are understood to be those who chiefly socialize the
children into those realms of the ethical and the values and meanings of the
wetlands.
Recommendations for Enhancing Women’s
Participation
Gender equity is one investment that
communities should consider most relevant for social, economic, and
environmentally sustainable development. Women bear the responsibility of
managing the home and working environment, the environmental resources, and the
healthy well-being of families within the rural and peri-urban farming
communities. Therefore, the following is recommended to enhance women’s
participation in conservation activities.
Training and Awareness- women have played a major role in the
conservation of the wetlands. They should be encouraged to integrate their
activities and policies at the local and national levels. From this, they will
be in a position to comprehend the importance of wetlands in their lives and the
privilege they are to gain if wetlands are preserved. The research also
highlights that women should be trained more on the wise use of wetlands and
biodiversity, understanding the pressures that their activities put on the
same.
Affirmative and Supportive Actions- How Women Should get involved in the
management of the wetlands should form part of the local as well as national
policies. It will also open an opportunity for women to engage more in defining
sustainable resource management solutions that may greatly impact their lives.
Moreover, there should be added funds to popularize women’s participation in
the protection of wetlands to ensure actual inclusion in the process of
conservation.
[1] Research Scholar, Department of
Law, BBAU, Lucknow.
[2] Assistant Professor, Department
of Law, BBAU, Lucknow.
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[5] Hoxie, F.E. (2020). Exploring a
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[7] Hakutangwi, P.P. (2022).
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Africa.
[9] Monzur, N., & Jany, M.R.
(2023). Sustaining Traditionalism: an investigation into the vernacular
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[10] Rainard,M., Smith, C.J., &
Pachauri, S. (2023). Gender equality and climate change mitigation: Are women a
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Article Information
CHALLENGES OF WETLAND CONSERVATION AND ROLE OF WOMEN- A LEGAL STUDY.
Authors: SNIGDHA SRIVASTAVA, DR. MUJIBUR REHMAN
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Published 2025/03/06
- Issue 7
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International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
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- ISSN 2582-6433
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