Wetlands Lost and Found in the Levant - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 56

FIGURE 6.4 Wetland remnants in the Hula Nature Reserve.

bird blinds, and observation towers (Figure 6.11). Overall, the strategy is to immerse
visitors within the wetland where they can hear the cacophony of bird calls and
observe such wildlife in addition to amphibians and fishes (Figure 6.12).
Drainage has led to a number of problems in addition to the obvious one of loss
of a unique and important wildlife habitat (Hambright and Zohary 1998; Markel et
al. 1998). Following water removal, the exposed peat became oxidized, which led
to spontaneous underground fires. This in turn caused the land to subside (up to 3
m in places), which necessitated further drainage and with a consequent develop-
ment of dust storms. Disappearance of natural predators led to skyrocketing rodent