ABSTRACT
Generally, the objective of 'sustainable development' is applied to the design and construction of urban buildings and infrastructure within cities and towns. Failure to implement sustainable practices in the enormous land areas that support these urban centres ignores the impacts with regional or global implications. This is the reason for this review of agricultural practices and the application of constructed wetlands to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals and excess nutrients that compromise human and environmental well-being. Endocrine-disrupting compounds from dairies are significant pollutants that can impact ecosystem and human health when discharged into the water supply. This chapter demonstrates that low-cost and reliable constructed wetland solutions are available, leading to substantial improvement in effluent water quality from crop, livestock and aquaculture operations. Although these biological solutions will often lack the recreation benefits of constructed wetlands in urban areas, they can greatly improve ecosystem health and availability of wildlife habitat.
