“This book is an effort to document some of the cultural practices associated with wetlands. For a land as diverse as India, this is but a step in that direction. The book is organized into five thematic sections – Livelihoods, Wise Use, Faith and Spirituality, Traditional Knowledge and Conservation. With the thread of culture and wetlands running across, these sections are not mutually exclusive. The concepts blend across sections and only the spotlight shifts, emphasizing the importance of all these themes in wetland management. In the process of documenting wetland commons, we have benefitted from the new knowledge commons of the internet – open-source data and creative commons photographs, for which we are thankful. We also thank all the contributors who took out time to share their research and lived experiences which enriched the book further.”