Wetland Cities – Research Themes - Aaron Julius M. Lecciones

Research Themes

Research Theme

Social Futures of Wetland Cities

Wetland Cities are a construction of humankind. It is a complex social-ecological system that works through the agency of multiple actors. Any component inside a wetland city will be understood through the lens of individuals and their communities — stories, culture, perspective, and more. The social futures of wetland cities are deeply intertwined with how urban societies adapt to climate change, rethink their relationship with nature, and build more inclusive, resilient communities. The social futures of Wetland Cities are deeply intertwined with how urban societies adapt to climate change, rethink their relationship with nature, and build more inclusive, resilient communities.

The social dimensions that matter when considering development approaches in Wetland Cities, such as for nature-based solutions, blue-green infrastructure, or other strategies; should be seriously considered so that they reconnect people with nature, strengthen equity and inclusion, shift urban mindsets towards holistic human ecological approaches to living, and encourage social life that is deeply connected to the rhythms of the natural world.

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Cities are built upon many layers of human-made infrastructure. There is infrastructure that supports human’s need for food, shelter, mobility, recreation, spirituality, and more. All of these layers are built upon and depend on the environment. The environmental futures of Wetland Cities are tied to climate resilience and adaptation, biodiversity and ecological health, pollution control and management, governance that works with environmental transects and ridge-to-reef thinking, and new ways of planning the environment of cities using artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and big data.

Wetland Cities rely on the healthy functioning of wetland habitat to nurture human development. Cities that are in harmony with their wetlands are also places where other living things can grow and prosper. A human ecological approach that complements the life cycles of the different species we share space with in cities and respects and preserves the stability and integrity of natural systems surrounding human settlements is the foundation for the futures of Wetland Cities.

Research Theme

Environmental Futures of Wetland Cities

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Research Theme

Public Health Futures of Wetland Cities

Wetland Cities face unique prospects for public health. Water is both a boon and bane for cities — they are essential for life to flourish but they are also the cause of mortality for many, such as from floods and disease. An increasing number of human settlements develop in wetlands and draw their resources from wetland habitat. Thus, the beneficial ecosystem services of wetland environments can be harnessed for the good of cities and the populations, human and non-human, that reside therein. Wetlands, due to their biodiversity, hold the key to healthy, active, and full lifestyles for humans and even for other species that call cities home.

The public health futures of Wetland Cities will, therefore, concentrate on disease prevention and control, climate-responsive health infrastructure, nature as preventive medicine, social health and equity, and the use of education, planning, and advances in artificial intelligence and big data collection in finding solutions that secure long-lasting public health. More than any other future aspect of Wetland Cities, public health is the most easily impacted by changes in the social, environmental, governance, and technology futures of Wetland Cities.

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The governance futures of Wetland Cities are modeled after those that guide the Ramsar Convention’s designation scheme for Wetland City Accreditation. This is exemplified by governance that demonstrates exceptional commitment to the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands. Strengthening ways for communities to work together for the wise use of wetlands through enabling legal frameworks that consider the subsidiarity elements between stakeholders and communities in cities and empowers their full knowledge of issues and full cooperation is the crux for governance in wetland cities.

The future of governance for Wetland Cities imbibes the responsible ecological stewardship role of wetland communities, centering on empowering and enabling communities through communication, capacity building, education, participation, and awareness. Research in this future aspect investigates governance models and policy mechanisms that strengthen the human-environment relationship between human settlement and wetlands. Networks and linkages that expand partnerships and enhance synergy among diverse actors through dialogue and cooperation are an important part of this research theme.

Research Theme

Governance Futures of Wetland Cities

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Research Theme

Tech Futures of Wetland Cities

Technology underlies the modern foundation of cities. Layers of physical and information infrastructure intersect with the sociocultural sphere in Wetland Cities — they drive the technological futures of Wetland Cities. This unfolds at the intersection of ecological restoration, smart urbanism, data-driven governance, artificial intelligence, and more. The use and management of information technology is among the top priorities for research: emergent technologies that shape this study include artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and big data and they will be complemented by time-tested Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices.

The tech futures of Wetland Cities will be influenced by disruptions in smart urban development and the integration of nature-based solutions and also social-based solutions (citizen science). Managing impacts from climate, pollution, biodiversity -loss, and a plethora of other key indicators will be done through new technologies embedded into the urban fabric that complement, and not replace, natural processes. Wetland Cities are becoming living laboratories where technology deepens our relationship with nature.

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Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Millions of people depend on wetlands for livelihoods. Human settlements around the world stretch across wetlands where, traditionally, the most prosperous lands reside. Today, wetlands are not only a source of food and water, their biodiversity is a treasure of genetic information for medicine, serve to regulate many processes critical to support economic systems, and underlie many social and cultural activities that produce immense value for societies across the world. It is estimated that wetlands provide $39 trillion dollars globally in ecosystem services, a large proportion of these to support cities.

The economic futures of Wetland Cities are both promising and precarious — depending on how urgently we act to protect and restore them. Research here focuses on myriad aspects of how wetlands support the economic industries of agriculture, fisheries & aquaculture, tourism & recreation, water treatment, and even climate finance. Green job creation, from the implementation of nature-based solutions, carbon markets, circular economies, and other strategies will become the standard for any Wetland City. Wetlands are not wastelands but economic powerhouses.

Research Theme

Economic Futures of Wetland Cities

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