Wetlands in a Dry Land: More-Than-Human Histories of Australia's Murray-Darling Basin

Humans have destroyed 87% of the world's wetlands over the past three centuries, leading to biodiversity loss, poor water quality, and erosion of cultural sites. Emily OGorman's book "What Has Counted as a Wetland?" examines how people and animals have shaped wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin, highlighting the role of Aboriginal peoples as custodians of the landscape and the challenges of managing mosquitoes. She argues that we need to understand wetlands as socioecological landscapes to create new relationships with and futures for these places.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2021
Publisher: University of Washington Press

Over the past three centuries, humans have engaged in activities that have resulted in the destruction or alteration of nearly 87 percent of the world's wetlands. These actions have been driven by the pursuit of agriculture, urban growth, and disease control. Unintended consequences of these actions include the loss of biodiversity, poor water quality, and the erosion of cultural sites. It is only in recent decades that wetlands have gained widespread recognition as valuable ecosystems worth preserving.

In her book, "What Has Counted as a Wetland? For Whom, and With What Consequences?" Emily OGorman explores the complex relationship between humans and wetlands. Using the Murray-Darling Basin, a massive river system in eastern Australia, as a case study, OGorman examines how people and animals have shaped wetlands from the late nineteenth century to the present. Through archival research and original interviews, she sheds light on the deeper dynamics of these ecosystems.

OGorman highlights the role of Aboriginal peoples as custodians of the landscape, despite the policies of the Australian government. She explores how the movements of water birds affected farmers and how mosquitoes have defied efforts to fully understand and control them. By situating the region's history within global environmental humanities conversations, OGorman argues that we need to understand wetlands as socioecological landscapes in order to create new kinds of relationships with and futures for these places.

The book offers a valuable perspective on the importance of wetlands and the need to protect them for future generations. OGorman's research provides insights into the complex interactions between humans and the natural world, and her advocacy for wetland preservation is timely and crucial.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780295749037