Here's some info I googled:

" In some parts of the world, rowing facing forwards is the prevailing style. The gondolas of Venice are a good example. They are rowed facing forward, standing up, and pushing on a single oar. The boats have developed to suit that style. Gondolas are stable enough to stand up in and their hulls are shaped with a sideways curve (like a banana) to compensate for the one-sided power application. Asian river men row their boats facing forward. Some people "scull" their boats using a single oar off the transom, waging it back and for forth like a fish's tail."

http://www.frontrower.com/whywerowbackward.htm