Wetland enhancement on an urban river : Issues of social and ecomic regeneration.
With a progressive and steady decline in wetland features, particularly in lowland Britain, industry, development, agriculture, drinking water abstraction and recreation have all been recognised to have played their part in degrading riverine features, surface wetlands and underground aquifers. Much of this decline has resulted from technological development to aid industrial production and a desire for more intensive agriculture. In the late twentieth century the demise of heavy industry has resulted in large areas of derelict land ripe for redevelopment and there have been considerable changes in how land is managed for agriculture. This has presented significant opportunities for partial use of this available space for nature conservation and leisure access. The contention of the study is that such development provides a social benefit and has implications for being the backdrop to, and catalyst for, economic regeneration. The study attempts to demonstrate this concept as it progresses through examination of the functions, aspects and processes of rivers and wetlands and relates these to people's perception of these as positive or negative. It reviews the incremental loss of riverine and wetland features and relates this to mitigation measures to negate the loss of what are now seen as crucial benefits of wetland functions. The review is then applied to a case study of the River Don catchment through a detailed examination of its historical use and change. It attempts to show the perceived importance of wetland nature conservation sites as catalysts for social and economic regeneration as it is happening in the catchment. Strategic underpinning for such contentions is examined alongside a detailed focus on existing wetland sites in the catchment and the views of key personnel in various interest groups associated with such development. The study concludes that such nature conservation sites provide a positive benefit within areas that are undergoing significant social and economic changes but also suggests that there has been little strategic influence on where, or how, these sites are developed and promoted. The ongoing implementation of the European Union's Water Framework Directive may change this but the study suggests that this may come as a significant 'culture shock' to those who are likely to implement its recommendations on individual river basins. The influence of 'project champions' is recognised as having been a critical factor in existing project development and management.The research study advances the knowledge and understanding of the strategic influence of wetland development in social and economic regeneration by drawing together disparate sources of influence, through evidence of existing project influence, and through the experience of key players in the field. This will help provide vital preparation for personnel involved in the forthcoming implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
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Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom).