This paper introduces the characteristics of the Delta and outlines the pressures that are impinging on the sustainability of the Delta's wetlands. Although these pressures are non-linear and interacting, three are considered prominent. These pressures stem largely from rice production and the associated large scale water control infrastructures, shrimp aquaculture, and the inadequacy of the current institutional arrangements. Responses to these pressures are discussed noting the diverse interventions made in the past and the present. Key points raised by authors in the succeeding chapters in this volume are highlighted and a short description of the WorldFish Center project is provided.