The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 4 January 2002

Stuff ready. The 26th meeting of the Standing Committee begins to be both seen and heard. The Convention's Standing Committee met 3-7 December 2001 in Gland, Switzerland -- lots of fun for everyone -- and meticulously crafted 52 decisions, which in the minutes of the meeting can be found nestled amongst 22,700 words, many of them cogent. This report of the meeting is now available here, and the text of the decisions themselves, without the hypnotically stimulating context, will now be translated into French and Spanish and, with the report in English, will be communicated to the Contracting Parties by diplomatic notification early in the next year. So far, we also have for you the opening statements of the four International Organization Partners and, of course, the meeting's documentation. In Ramsar tradition, the IOPs' welcoming statements are not just smiley blandishments -- they contain succinct statements of the Partners' contributions to the Convention and commitments to our future work, and we recommend them to you. Still to come, in addition to the decision documents in the three languages: the list of participants and their contacts and . . . the provocative photographs. [21/12/01]

Headline story. Argentina designates large site on the Paraná river. The Bureau is very pleased to announce that, effective 10 October 2001, the Republic of Argentina has designated its ninth Wetland of International Importance, a very large site near the city of Reconquista in Santa Fe province running northward along the Paraná river -- Jaaukanigás (492,000 hectares, 28°45’S 059°15’W). "Jaaukanigás" means "people of the water", a reference to one of the local populations who lived there in the middle of the 18th century. The Paraná River is one of the largest and more diverse in the world, the second in South America after the Amazon. An extensive complex of rivers, lagoons, pools, permanent freshwater marshes and seasonally inundated grassland, interspersed with riparian woodland and gallery forest, makes this site one of paramount importance from the biodiversity and hydrological point of view in Argentina. The site provides habitat for a large number of species, some vulnerable or threatened with extinction, such as Lontra longicaudis, Tamandua tetradactyla, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Caiman yacare, C. latirostris, Eunectes notaeus, Tupinambis merianae, Boiruna maculata, and Hydrops triangularis. Ther is an important population of ducks, including Netta peposaca, Dendrocygna bicolor and D. viduata, and migratory birds such as Calidris melanotos, C. fuscicollis, C. bairdii, Tringa melanoleuca, T. flavipes, T. solitaria and Limosa haemastica are also found. There is a very rich aquatic life, with about 300 fish species, which are key for the regional economy, as 50% of the population in the area live by fishing. Sport fishing and ecotourism are important economic activities as well. Argentina's Ramsar sites presently cover 1,649,039 hectares, and the Convention's 1111 Ramsar sites now cover 87.72 million hectares. -- reported by Margarita Astrálaga. [20/12/01] [français et/y español]

Headline story. The UK names the Firth of Forth. The Bureau is delighted to announce that the Government of the United Kingdom has designated Scotland's Firth of Forth (6,314 hectares, 56°01’N 002°53’W) for the List of Wetlands of International Importance, effective 30 October 2001, probably the last major estuary in the UK not yet included in the List. Simultaneously listed as an SSSI and SPA, the site is a large coastal area comprising a complex of estuaries, mudflats, rocky shorelines, beaches and saltmarshes, including many fragmentary bits of shoreline considered to act as a single ecological unit. Several large urban areas, including Edinburgh, are adjacent to the site and include areas of heavy industry and well-used maritime shipping lanes. The site provides habitat for large numbers of wintering waders and wildfowl, many in nationally and internationally important numbers, and a number of aesthetic, archaeological, sporting and recreational interests lend added value. Coastal industrial development is seen as a source of pressure but is subject to detailed planning control, and the potential for rising sea levels are foreseen in "planned retreat" coastal realignment schemes. [19/12/01] [français et/y español]

Brief Meeting Report. Venezuela meeting on the Andes. The beautiful city of Mérida (Venezuela) was host to the IV International Symposium on Sustainable Development of the Andes, during the days 25 of November to the 2^nd of December of 2001. The Symposium was organized by the Andean Mountain Association (AMA) with the sponsorship the United Nations University. Marco Flores's brief account is in Spanish and English. [21/12/01]

Dates set for WATC wetland courses 2002. Ir. Bouke Ottow has announced the dates for next year's wetland courses run by the Wetland Advisory and Training Centre in Lelystad, The Netherlands, part of the Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management in the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. These highly successful courses, explicitly based upon Ramsar principles and guidelines, have graduated many young wetland managers from 40 countries who are now influencing wetland policy in "wise use" directions internationally and in their own regions. The 9th annual International Course on Wetland Management will take place from 22 August to 2 October 2002 and the deadline for applications is 1 March. The 3rd annual International Course on Wetland Restoration will be held 29 May to 26 June 2002, and the deadline for applications is 1 January 2002. More information can be had from WATC directly at watc@riza.rws.minvenw.nl and the brochures and application forms can be downloaded in PDF format from this Web site [since removed]. [14/12/01]

Global Peatland Initiative Web site. "Dear Ramsar Forum members, A new web-page has been created on the the Global Peatland Initiative, which is a partnership between nature conservation NGOs, science agencies and the private sector. It has been launched by the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG), International Peat Society (IPS), Wetlands International, IUCN-Netherlands Committeee and Alterra. It is a platform programme, which promotes the identification and development of projects for the wise use and conservation of peatlands and facilitates the funding of them. It channels the results of these to international policies and conventions. Please see http://www.wetlands.org/projects/GPI/default.htm Marcel J. Silvius Wetlands International Droevendaalsesteeg 3A PO Box 7002 6700 CA Wageningen The Netherlands Tel: +31 317 478861 Fax: +31 317 478885 Email: silvius@wetlands.agro.nl " [19/12/01]

Vacancy announcement. Republic of Korea seeks Project Design Specialist. Jaeyong Choi of the Ministry of Environment has requested that we announce a vacancy for an international short-term consultant to assist the Republic of Korea in guiding a project implementation team in a Global Environment Facility project called "Conservation of Globally Significant Wetlands in the ROK". The one-page announcement is available here [link later removed] and more information can be found at www.me.go.kr and www.un.or.kr. [14/12/01]

Another Announcement. River Basin Initiative launches a new e-mail discussion group. Our colleague Oi May at the Global Environment Centre, the RBI secretariat based in Selangor, Malaysia, has asked us to pass on this information about a new e-mail discussion group, or "list serve", devoted to the River Basin Initiative. Here is the announcement: "River-Basin-Initiative is set up for individuals who are interested in the River Basin Initiative (RBI) - a global initiative on integrating biodiversity, wetland and river basin management, endorsed by both the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This electronic group is an informal communication means to keep individuals informed. This network group serves as a virtual office space for general information and file sharing, message posting and activities outlook in the coming months relating to the operation of the Initiative. To join, send a blank message to: River-Basin-Initiative-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To view River-Basin-Initiative page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/River-Basin-Initiative/." More background on the RBI is available on the Ramsar site at http://ramsar.org/key_rbi_index.htm. [14/12/01]

Another vacancy announcement. Ducks Unlimited Canada seeks National Education Coordinator. Ducks Unlimited is seeking an experienced environmental educator to help teachers and students understand and experience the wonders and values of wetlands. As a member of DU's education team, the National Education Coordinator works with the Manager, Education Programs and field interpreters across the country. Ducks Unlimited Canada offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a full range of employee benefits for this full-time position. The announcement is available here. [link later removed] [14/12/01]

26th meeting of the Standing Committee, 3-7 December. The members and observers of SC26 have departed the Bureau's facilities in the IUCN headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, leaving behind them a great deal of progress in the business of the Convention and the preparations for the 8th COP next year. Some of the key COP8 documents have been approved outright, many more have been refined and sent back for revision before consideration by the SC's Subgroup on COP8, which will meet in May 2002 (the full SC will not meet again until moments before the COP begins). The full report of the meeting's plenary sessions has been approved by the SC for the first two days, and the third day's report will be refined and approved on the SC's behalf by the Chair, Stephen Hunter of Australia, as soon as it's ready for him later this week -- following which, the full report will be made public in English and the texts of the decisions in English, French, and Spanish. The 50-odd ponderous agenda papers that were prepared for the meeting and made available on this Web site prior to the meeting have now been joined by some 16 new papers that were generated and tabled during the course of the deliberations: the menu for these can be found here. Some poignant photos will be along, too, in due time. [13/12/01]

New Ramsar Intern for the Americas. The Bureau is delighted to announced that Julio Montes de Oca has accepted the Ramsar post of Intern/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for the Americas, to replace Marco Flores of Puerto Rico, USA, in early February 2002. Julio has double Mexico/Costa Rica nationality and obtained a Bachelor of Science, a Certificate in International Affairs, and a Certificate in Pulp and Paper Engineering in 1995, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. From 1999 to 2001 he studied at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, Belgium, and obtained a post-graduate diploma in Human Ecology in 2000 and a Master in Advanced Studies in Human Ecology in 2001 (both Magna Cum Laude). He has just completed an internship at the International Coalition for Development Action (ICDA) in Brussels, with involvement in both organizational and research-based tasks. He also attended diverse meetings in the context of NGOs, including interactions with the EU. Of particular interest has been his participation in a "High Level Seminar on Globalisation, Sustainable Development and the EU's External Policies", hosted by Green Globe Task Force and WWF, as well as in four "Rio+10 Coalition" meetings which focused on promotion of a "Global Deal" for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Julio is fluent in Spanish and English and has an advanced level of French. We look forward to welcoming Julio in the Bureau. [12/12/01]

Holiday reading suggestions. New Zealand "audit" on Ramsar implementation. David Melville reports to the Ramsar Forum that the Government of New Zealand has recently published its report entitled 'Meeting International Environmental Obligations', including an interesting chapter on the Ramsar Convention with an analysis of achievements and remaining structural obstacles that may well prove useful for other Parties as well. The report can be downloaded in Acrobat PDF format from the following Web address: http://www.oag.govt.nz/HomePageFolders/AuditOfficeReports/MIEO/MIEO.htm.[URL is out of date][12/12/01]

Ramsar Advisory Mission to Chilika Lake, India. Some time ago, the Ministry of Environment and Forest of India informed the Ramsar Bureau of the work that has been done for the improvement of the ecological condition of the Chilika Lake Ramsar site and initiated the process for removing this site from the Montreux Record, the list of Ramsar sites where change in ecological character has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur as a result of human interference. (Chilika Lake was designated for the Ramsar List in 1981 and added to the Montreux Record in 1993.) With the advice of the Convention’s Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP), an advisory team consisting of Najam Khurshid, Ramsar Regional Coordinator for Asia; Dr Max Finlayson of Australia’s Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss) and a member of the STRP; and Dr Sidharth Kaul of India’s Ministry of Environment and Forest, will visit the site, 11-14 December, to review the improved conditions and management of influencing factors reported by the Ministry. Whilst there, they will make a comparative analysis of the site with those ecological conditions mentioned at the time of inclusion into Montreux Record through direct observation, interviews with different stakeholders, available data, and discussion with the implementing agencies. [11/12/01]

Technical Assistance mission to Tanzania. Regional Coordinator Anada Tiéga is presently in Tanzania, 12-18 December, in response to a request for technical assistance from the National Wetland Working Group. The Working Group is the first arrangement that has been set up in order to initiate and develop a permanent mechanism for the coordination of the implementation of the Convention at national and subregional level, with the assistance of the IUCN Regional Office for East Africa. The United Republic of Tanzania acceded to the Ramsar Convention on 13 August 2000 and a number of significant initiatives are under way, including outlook on wetland inventories, Ramsar site designation and management, and policy development. The visit will cover the following items: essential information on the Ramsar Convention with a focus on key areas of work; wetland inventory; wetland policy and legislation; Ramsar site designation; Ramsar site management; subregional cooperation and communication. The visit includes discussion with the Group on the first day and field trips to five areas as well as the first Ramsar site, where the ongoing management planning process will be discussed with major stakeholders. Potential Ramsar sites will also be discussed on the ground. [11/12/01]

New bilingual Web site on wetlands is created in China. Recently a new bilingual (Chinese and English) Web site on wetlands is open in China. This Web site is managed by Wetlands International – China with the aim at promoting public awareness of wetlands value and functions in China and letting overseas readers know about development and problem of wetlands in China. At present the Web site is still at trial basis with relatively simple contents. It is believed that with experience gained it will become a good window for both Chinese and foreign readers. Chinese readers may through this window may gain wetland knowledge and its new development trends in the world, and foreign readers may through this window get to learn more of the development of wetland causes in China. Wetlands International – China is sincerely hoping that our readers show more care for and extend their support to this new bilingual Web site. Their comments and suggestions are most welcome (lilukang@public3.bta.net.cn). Please click www.wetwonder.org. (Reported by Li Lukang, WI-China). [11/12/01]

MedWet Coordination Unit opened in Athens. MedWet is a coordination mechanism for wetland activities in the Mediterranean Basin and owes its origins to an international conference organized by Wetlands International (then IWRB) in Grado, Italy, in February 1991. The MedWet1 project (1992-1996), funded by the European Union, began building the collaborative MedWet network and developed regional methods and tools; MedWet2 extended the initiative throughout the Mediterranean Basin. In 1999 MedWet became a formal inter-regional structure for the implementation of the Ramsar Convention and serves as a model for regional wetland cooperative structures elsewhere. A MedWet Committee was established by Ramsar Resolution VII.22, and a MedWet Coordination Unit was established to keep things rolling along more or less merrily and maintain sanity amongst the Ramsar Bureau, the Unit itself, and the three technical support institutions (EKBY in Greece, Tour du Valat in France, and SEHUMED in Spain). On 21 November, ceremonies in Athens, Greece, inaugurated the new home of the Coordination Unit now based in Greece's National Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development in the newly renovated -- dare we say it -- palace of Villa Kazouli! The Convention's MedWet Coordinator, Spyros Kouvelis, and Policy Advisor, Nejib Benessaiah, in addition to two support personnel to be seconded from EKBY, and the premises themselves, are being fully funded for two years by the Government of Greece and are considered to be outposted staff of the Ramsar Bureau in Gland.

SC25, October 2000

Ramsar's 26th meeting of the Standing Committee begins today. The Standing Committee, which guides the Convention and the work of the Bureau between the triennial meetings of the COP, according to the parameters laid down by the Conference of the Contracting Parties, has arrived in Gland, Switzerland, for its 26th meeting since its founding in 1987. Today and tomorrow, the 3rd and 4th of December, will be devoted to meetings of the Subgroups on COP8, Finance, the STRP, and the Strategic Plan 2003-2008, the purpose of which is to wade through those tangled issues and be prepared to offer clear explanations and recommendations for the full Standing Committee in plenary. The plenary sessions begin on Wednesday, the 5th, and run to Friday. All of the member Parties and permanent observers are present, as well as a significant number of observer Parties, non-Parties, and others. In addition to the regular annual business involving the Bureau's budget and work plan, and timely reports from the Bureau and others on progress in the implementation of the Convention since the 25th meeting (in October 2000), the bulk of the crowded agenda will be devoted to the preparations for COP8 (Valencia, Spain, November 2002) and to the present drafts of a large number of proposed Resolutions, Recommendations, and guidance documents that will be presented to the COP. If time permits, progress reports will appear here during the week, but in any case a summary report will be posted at the end of the meeting and the full report in due course. [03/12/01]

More to follow. Watch this space. Feedback and suggestions are welcome to: the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail

). Updated regularly by Dwight Peck, Ramsar Bureau.

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