4
February 2002
Headline
story. West and Central Asian Subregional
Meeting takes off. The Islamic Republic
of Iran is convening and hosting the second Asian subregional meeting
in preparation for Ramsar's 8th Conference of the Parties, with participation,
from 3 to 5 February, by representatives of all or nearly all of the Contracting
Parties and non-contracting parties in the subregion. On 3 February, Vice
President and Head of the Department of the Environment, H. E. Dr Masoumeh Ebtekar,
will assist in celebrations of World Wetlands Day and the 31st anniversary of
the signing of the Convention in Ramsar, Iran. Topics for discussion include
reports of achievements in the subregion, the COP8 National Report format, the
draft Strategic Plan 2003-2008, preparations for the COP8 Technical Sessions,
inter alia. Other featured participants include Taej Mundkur (Wetlands Int'l),
Dave Pritchard (BirdLife Int'l), Zbig Karpowicz (Fauna & Flora Int'l), C. L.
Trisal (Wetlands Int'l), Biksham Gujja (WWF Int'l), Hassan Partow (UNEP), and
Abdu Al Assiri (SRAP/UNCCD). On 6-7 February an optional visit to the city of
Ramsar on the Caspian shore will be organized by the hosts. A report of the
meeting will arrive in due course. [03/02/02]
Headline
story. Nicaragua names 7 new sites for
World Wetlands Day. The Ramsar Bureau is especially glad to announce
that the Government of Nicaragua has designated seven new Wetlands of International
Importance, effective 8 November 2001, to be announced in ceremonies on World
Wetlands Day 2 February 2002, comprising a very impressive array of wetland
types and values. An enormous effort has gone into the compilation of the very
thorough, almost book-length Ramsar Information Sheets, totaling a coverage
of 361,752 hectares in all parts of the country, carried out by MARENA (the
Ministerio del Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) assisted by a large number of
non-governmental organizations, namely the Asociación Ambientalista Audubon
Nicaragua (ASAAN), the Fundación del Río, Amigos de la Tierra,
PROGOLFO, the Coordinación Nacional del Corredor Biológico Mesoamericano,
the Centro Inter Universitario Moravo de la Bluefields Indians & Caribbean
University, and the Proyecto de Conservación y Desarrollo Forestal PROCODEFOR.
In particular, very substantial financial and technical support was provided
to the preparation for these designations by IUCN Mesoamerica and its
Nicaraguan Wetlands Working Group. Nicaragua, which joined the Convention in
1997, now has eight Ramsar sites totaling 405,502 hectares. Here
is a brief description of the seven new sites. [01/02/02]
Who's
where?
Delmar Blasco, Secretary General, is in Paris for talks with UNESCO and then to attend a lunch with the French environmental press on 1 February and participate on 2 February in the inauguration of the first Maison Ramsar (Ramsar House) in the Baie de Somme (Northwest of France) on 2 February, World Wetlands Day. [31/01/02]
Who was where? Cumulated record of travels throughout the year.
New
on the Site: Photos
of the presentation of Ramsar site diplomas at the Lake
Chad Basin Commission's 49th ministerial session; World
Wetlands Day plans all round the world (so far 155 reports from
54 countries). [29/01/02]
EAC
launches strategy for heritage management of wetlands. On the occasion
of World Wetlands Day 2002, a pre-briefing cocktail event was organised on 22
January in the European Parliament building in Brussels (Belgium) by GLOBE
and the European Archaeological
Council (or Europae Archaeologiae Consilium, EAC). Central to the
presentation on 22 January was EAC's paper presenting a strategy for the heritage
management of wetlands in Europe, which was delivered by Dr Adrian Olivier,
EAC's President. The further
significance of the event is unveiled here, with reprints of the addresses
by Dr Olivier and by Dr Tobias Salathé of Ramsar. [30/01/02]
News
from the SGF. Armenia completes SGF
project. Armenia has successfully completed its SGF 2000 project
"Regional training course on wetland management for
technical staff of wetland conservation and management institutions in the new
independent states of the European region". The project was carried
out by the NGO Professional and Entrepreneurial Orientation Union (NGO
Orientation) and additionally supported with funds by the Royal Netherlands
Embassy in Kyiv (Ukraine), Office of Agricultural Counsellor, MOU Programme.
The training course took place on the Lake Sevan from 9th to 23rd September
2001 and was based upon the subjects of the internationally recognized courses
on Wetland Management and Wetland Restoration organized by Wetland Advisory
and Training Centre of RIZA (the Netherlands). Significant contributions
to the project were made by the NGO Stichting Flevolandschap (The Netherlands)
and by the Department of Flora and Fauna and Especially Protected Natural Areas
of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia. The course was attended by
19 participants from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.
The core lectures staff comprised experts from Armenia, Netherlands, Russia
and Ukraine. More info and some photos
are available here. [30/01/02]
The
application of Criterion 6 for Ramsar sites: Waterbird Population Estimates
now online. Wetlands International, as a part of its key role as
an International Organisation Partner (IOP) in providing scientific and technical
support to the Ramsar Convention, periodically prepares a global summary of
best available information of the status and trends of waterbird biogeographic
populations, drawing on the data compiled through their International Waterbird
Census and the expertise of their extensive waterbird Specialist Groups network.
As the 3rd edition is still being prepared for publication in time for Ramsar
COP8, the out-of-print 2nd edition has been made available on-line. Nick
Davidson provides further detail and describes the operation of Criterion 6
for the identification of Wetlands of International Importance. [30/01/02]
BirdLife
International partners team up for study of threatened bird species.
The Hellenic Ornithological Society in Greece, the Romanian Ornithological Society
(ROS), the Society for the Protection of Nature (DHKD) in Turkey, and the Bulgarian
Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), all BirdLife International partners,
are cooperating in a project, funded by the Government of Greece, on "Actions
for the research and conservation of two globally threatened species in the
Balkans (Pygmy Cormorant and White-Headed Duck)". Read
more about it here. [29/01/02]
 |
Ramsar's
first postmark Not. See more here. |
Society
of Wetland Scientists awards its 2001 Ramsar grants. Eric
Gilman reports that in 1999 the Society of Wetland Scientists
(SWS) formed a SWS Ramsar Support Grant Program to advance Ramsar Convention
on Wetlands objectives, including the selection, designation, management, and
networking of Ramsar sites, and implementation of the Ramsar Convention's Wise
Use guidelines. Projects are funded at a level of US $5,000 per year on a competitive
basis as reviewed by a 5-member Committee of members of the SWS International
Chapter, Ramsar Convention Bureau, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division
of International Conservation, and matched with additional funds from the US
FWS. This year's awards have been made to
Dr. Gleb Gavris, Kyiv Sozological Centre, Ukraine; Dr. Fátima
Mereles of the Fundación Desdel Chaco (Foundation for the Sustainable
Development of the South American Chaco), Paraguay; Mr. German I.
Andrade, Fundación Humedales de Colombia; and Sabir Bin Muzaffar,
Independent University of Bangladesh. Eric's
summaries of the winning projects are available here. [28/01/02]
Argentina
names its 10th Ramsar site. The secretariat is very pleased to announce
that the Republic of Argentina has named, effective 18/01/02, the Lagunas
y Esteros del Iberá (24,550 hectares, 28°31'S 057°09'W, Natural
Reserve) as its 10th Wetland of International Importance. Located in Corrientes
province in the northeast of the country, the site is centered about the Laguna
del Iberá and is part of the macrosystem of Iberá,
a catchment area of some 1.3 million hectares drained by the Río Corriente
into the middle reaches of the Paraná,
representative of wetland types found in Corrientes and southeastern Paraguay.
Iberá Lake, at 5,500 hectares, is one of the largest and most characteristic
components of the system - with an average depth of 3m, it is almost always
clear with variations caused by seasonal growth of plankton. The site supports
high biological diversity, including an appreciable number of endemic species.
Among rare, vulnerable, and endangered species covered by CITES within the site
are the yacaré overo, or Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris),
yacaré negro (C. Yacare), anaconda amarilla or curiyú (Eunectes
notaeus), the pato crestudo (Sarkidiornis melanotos), the Neotropical
otter "lobito de río" (Lontra longicaudis), and ciervo de los
pantanos, or Marsh deer (Blastoceros dichotomus), among others. The surrounding
marshlands of Esteros del Iberá
support a sizable number of indigenous fish species and subspecies at key stages
of their biological cycles, particularly Salminus maxillosus. Agriculture,
particularly rice, and grazing are practiced in the area, and the development
of ecotourism is foreseen. Ramsar site no. 1162. [français
et/y español]
The datasheets for this Ramsar designation were compiled by the Dirección de Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental of the Province of Corrientes based upon work by Sr. Tomás Waller, of the Fundación Reserva del Iberá, and Sr. Guillermo Lingua of the Dirección de Recursos Ictícolas y Acuícolas de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Sustentable y Política Ambiental of Argentina. With this designation, the Government of Argentina has completed its pledge made during the 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in San José, Costa Rica. [28/01/02]
India
names two new Ramsar sites as part of a large packet of designations.
The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands is delighted to announce that the Government
of India has designated two new Ramsar sites in Punjab state, the first instalments
in quite a large package of new designations prepared with the support of WWF's
Living Waters Programme. Eleven more of these have already been received at
the secretariat and are presently being worked on by Bureau staff, and it is
understood that as many as 25 may be added to the List in total. Kanjli
(183 hectares, 31°25'N 075°22'E) is a permanent stream converted by construction
of a small barrage in 1870 into a water storage area for irrigation purposes;
in addition to its considerable conservation values, the site is considered
to be the most significant in the state from the religious point of view, as
it is associated with the first guru of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Ropar
(1,365 ha, 31°01'N 076°30'E) is similarly a humanmade wetland created in 1952
by construction of a small barrage, and presently supports a number of nationally
protected species. More detail on these
new sites is available here. [français
et/y español] [25/01/02]
Announcement.
Register your COP8 side event now! Or later! When you want
to! In any case, the forms for doing so are ready. Side events include
group meetings, press conferences, presentations, photo opportunities, launching
of publications/CD ROMs/initiatives, and other activities which are not part
of the official agenda of the Conference of the Parties and which are normally
sponsored by government agencies or non-governmental organizations or associations
outside of the official proceedings of the COP. They take place outside the
official working hours of the COP, e.g., in the early morning, at lunch time,
and in the evenings. Here's more
information and a form for reserving your COP8 side event at your leisure.
[25/01/02]
Kenya
designates freshwater lake in Great Rift Valley. The Bureau is very
pleased to announce that the Republic of Kenya has named Lake
Baringo (31,469 hectares, 00°32'N 036°05'E) as its 4th Wetland of
International Importance. This National Reserve consists of one of the two important
freshwater (less-alkaline) lakes in the primarily arid Kenyan Rift Valley and
its surrounding riparian zones; the central island Ol Kokwe embodies the remains
of a small volcano. It is part of the Great Rift Valley system of faults and
cliffs and is fed by several freshwater inflows from the Mau and Tugen hills.
The lake provides critical habitat and refuge for nearly 500 bird species, and
some of the migratory waterbird species are of regional and global conservation
significance, with more than 20,000 individuals reported. The lake is an invaluable
habitat for seven freshwater fish species, of which one (the tilapia Oreochromis
niloticus baringoensis) is endemic to the lake. Local fisheries are particularly
important for sustainable development of the local communities, for both economic
and sport fishing. In addition, the site is a habitat for many species of animals,
such as hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious), crocodile (Crocodylus
niloticus) and a wide range of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrate
communities. Four ethnic communities around the lake depend upon it for food,
through fishing, and for water supply, and a diversity of traditional religious
functions are served by the lake and surrounding escarpments. Longterm overgrazing
and deforestation and diversion for irrigation of water from one of the inflowing
rivers are seen as potential pressures, as are alien invasive species, such
as Pistia (Nile cabbage), and the use of motor boats by water sports, but the
site's rich natural and cultural attractions, if well-managed, promise sound
ecotourism development. A visitors' centre is in place and a management plan
in preparation; a GEF project for biodiversity conservation is under way. Ramsar
site no. 1159. [français
et/y español] [24/01/02]
Peru
completes management plans for all its Ramsar sites. The Peruvian
National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) has completed the Master
Plan for the Conservation of biological diversity and sustainable development
of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Pacaya
Samiria is the largest of Peru's Ramsar sites and covers more than
2 million hectares. With the completion of this project, all seven Ramsar sites
in Peru now have management plans . The project was made possible by the support
of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Instituto de Investigaciones de la
Amazonia Peruana, the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation, Servicio
Holandes de Cooperación, International Resources Group, Pro Naturaleza,
Junglevat for Amazonas, The Nature Conservancy, and WWF-Peru. INRENA has also
produced a Plan for Tourism and Recreational Use of the Pacaya Samiria
National Reserve. [24/01/02] [version
en español]
Announcement.
Call for project proposals for the Ramsar Small Grants Fund.
The Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetland Conservation
and Wise Use (SGF) was created in 1990 in order to provide assistance
for wetland conservation and wise use initiatives in developing countries and
(since 1996) countries with economies in transition. The SGF Operational Guidelines
for the Triennium 2000-2002 put emphasis on the implementation of the Ramsar
Strategic Plan 1997-2002, and project proposals must demonstrate the potential
to assist in fulfilling specific Strategic Plan objectives. The Bureau is presently
calling for project proposals for the 2002 cycle, with a deadline of 31 March
2002. The Operational Guidelines, including
forms to be completed, are available in English, French, and Spanish,
and interested groups may also contact the Bureau directly for further information.
[23/01/02] [Version en español]
Ecuador
names two new Ramsar sites. The Bureau is delighted to announce that
the Government of Ecuador has designated two new Wetlands of International Importance,
effective 2 February 2002 and to be officially announced on World Wetlands Day.
They are the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Santa Clara
in the Provincia de El Oro (46 hectares, 03º10'S 080º 26'W), a small
island with rocky shores in the Gulf of Guayaquil, and the Laguna
de Cube in the Provincia de Esmeraldas (113 hectares, 00°24'N
079°39' W), a permanent lake at the southeastern edge of the Mache-Chindul
mountains in the Chaco biogeographical region. More
detail is available here. [français,
español] [22/01/02]
The
UK names a new site in the Inner Hebrides. An exceptionally beautiful
Ramsar site, a small island west of the Isle of Mull in Scotland's Inner Hebrides,
has been designated effective 16 November 2001 as a Wetland of International
Importance by the United Kingdom, bringing its Ramsar total to 167 sites. Sleibhtean
agus Cladach Thiriodh (Tiree Wetlands and Coast) (1939 hectares,
56°30'N 006°52'W), also designated at the same time as an SSSI and SPA,
includes
significant portions of the Isle of Tiree, consisting of two zones: an intertidal
sector comprising rocky shore, sandy bays, and shingle shore, and an inland
sector comprising "machair" (sandy coastal) plain, marsh, and wet
moorland with one large and several small lochs and numerous pools. The inland
areas provide roost sites for internationally important numbers of wintering
geese from Greenland and breeding sites for a variety of wader species, whilst
the intertidal sectors support similarly significant numbers of wintering wader
populations. Several of the lochs support rich aquatic plant communities including
a range of nationally scarce and rare species, and the site provides an excellent
representative of dune and machair habitats. Sheep and cattle grazing is the
main land use of the site; disturbance from ditching and clearance by local
crofters is being addressed by management agreements. Features of archaeological
and historical interest are mentioned in the datasheets but no details have
been provided. Ramsar site no. 1158. [français
et/y español] [22/01/02]
Trinidad
and Tobago adopts National Wetland Policy. Nadra
Nathai-Gyan of the National Wetlands Committee and the Ministry of
the Environment, writes: "The National Wetlands Committee takes great pleasure
in announcing that the National Wetland Policy on Wetland
Conservation has been approved by the Cabinet of the Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago on 2001 July 12. This policy was finalised through a consultative
process, which sought views at both national and community levels. . . . Trinidad
and Tobago is very pleased to join with the other countries in the Ramsar Family
which have national wetland policies. Please be assured that every step will
be taken to implement the programmes identified for effecting the policy."
[21/01/02] [Text]
China
names 14 new Ramsar sites. The Government of the People's Republic
of China has tripled its number of Wetlands of International Importance by designating,
effective 11 January 2002, 14 provincial and national Nature Reserves for the
Ramsar List, an addition of 1,959,383 hectares.
The new sites range from vast wetlands in the semi-arid steppes of Inner Mongolia
to mangrove forests in the extreme southwest of the country; from two more parts
of Dongting Lake on the plains of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River to
intertidal mudflats at the river's mouth near Shanghai; from reserves dedicated
to the Spotted Seal in the Bohai Sea to reserves for the endangered Green Turtle
on a gently sloping beach in the south, and still another for the Pere David's
Deer, known here as the "Milu". Here is the administrative announcement
of the Ramsar Bureau's listing of the new sites - at ceremonies on World
Wetlands Day, the Ramsar Implementing Office of the State Forestry
Administration, together with WWF China and the WWF Living Waters
Programme, will make the official announcement of the new designations,
bringing China's total Ramsar coverage to 21 sites with 2,547,763 hectares included.
Here are brief descriptions of the
new sites. [français
et/y español] [19/01/02]
Lake
Chad Basin Commission lauds Ramsar designations.
Ramsar's Anada Tiéga and WWF's Denis Landenbergue report
from Yaoundé, Cameroon, that the 49th ministerial meeting of the Lake
Chad Basin Commission, at its closing session 15 January 2002, adopted
a recommendation on the continuing progress of the LCBC states towards Ramsar
accession and designation of their portions of the basin for the Ramsar List.
"The adoption of this recommendation is a direct follow-up of the designation
of Chad's part of Lake Chad, which was officially announced last Monday here
in Yaounde. This was, by the way, a big success, with lots of radio reports
and even a few Cameroon TV news showing the ceremony." The recommendation
is available here in English and
French. [17/01/02] And
so are photographs. [29/01/02]
China
reports on wetlands and Ramsar progress 2001. The Ramsar Administrative
Authority, or implementing agency, in the People's Republic of China has provided
a report on its Ramsar-related activities for 2001, an impressive array of policy
instruments and projects for wetland conservation and restoration in general
and a large number of specifically Ramsar accomplishments, such as the translation
and distribution of the Ramsar Toolkit, or "Handbooks for the Wise Use
of Wetlands", into the Chinese language. Read
this brief report here. [18/01/02]
Chad
designates its portion of Lake Chad as part of ongoing project.
The Ramsar Bureau is delighted to announce the designation by Chad of its very
large portion of Lake Chad, effective 11/01/02. This long-sought designation,
officially named "Partie tchadienne du lac
Tchad" (1,648,168 hectares, 14°20’N 013°37’E),
comes within the framework of ongoing close cooperation among the Government
of Chad, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Ramsar Bureau, WWF (World Wide
Fund for Nature), IUCN-The World Conservation Union, the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP). Read more here
about this impressive new site and about the project that will eventually bring
all parts of the Lake Chad Basin under the Ramsar umbrella. [français]
[14/01/02]
Danube
expert group launched. The Danube River Protection Convention DRPC
(Sofia,1994) promotes cooperation for the protection and sustainable use of
the Danube River and its tributaries. Thirteen Danubian states, all of them
Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention, as well as the European Union,
are Contracting Parties of the DRPC as well and have a vote in the International
Commission for the Protection of the Danube River ICPDR. The 4th Plenary
Session of the ICPDR, held 29-30 November 2001 in Vienna, added a fifth expert
group to its existing four, the so-called "Ecological
Expert Group" ECO/EG, thus responding to the requirements of wetland
restoration and management within the Danube Basin. Dr
Gerhard Sigmund of Austria has provided further details here. [15/01/02]
Publication
of the Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The final version of the official "Handbook of the Convention on Biological
Diversity", compiled by the CBD Secretariat, was published in late 2001.
The 690pp handbook contains the full texts of the Convention, the Cartegena
Protocol on Biosafety, and the Decisions of the Conference of the Parties from
1994 (COP1) to 2000 (COP5). The Handbook is indexed and presents all the most
important information about the Convention and the Protocol, including a description
of the background to the Convention and its institutional arrangements, a guide
to the decisions adopted, and a guide to ongoing activities in relation to each
Article of the Convention and thematic areas. The printed Handbook is accompanied
by a CD-Rom which contains its text in electronic format and is indexed and
cross-referenced with full search facilities. The Handbook is available from
Earthscan ( www.earthscan.co.uk ),
normal published price £24.95, on-line discount price £21.21. It can also be
downloaded in PDF format from the CBD Web site ( http://www.biodiv.org/handbook/
). In the context of the development of joint activities and synergies at national
and international levels between Ramsar and CBD, the Handbook provides an invaluable
and comprehensive source of reference on the operations of the CBD, and the
joint promotion of the sustainable use of biological diversity through CBD and
Ramsar's Wise Use concept. --
reported by Nick Davidson, Ramsar. [14/01/02]
'Wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring' finally available. Scott Frazier (frazier@wetlands.agro.nl) reported to the Ramsar Forum: "The Workshop 4 proceedings covering the timely topic of "Wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring" from the 2nd Conference on Wetlands and Development (Dakar 1998) has been published! Thanks to the Supervising Scientist Division (part of Environment Australia) http://www.ea.gov.au/ssd/ (See publications). It is now available on-line on the Wetlands International Web site, mentioned on the homepage http://www.wetlands.org (See highlights). Or follow the direct URL http://www.wetlands.org/pubs&/WIAMproceedings.htm to access "Wetland inventory, assessment and monitoring: Practical techniques and identification of major issues. Proceedings of Workshop 4, 2nd International Conference on Wetlands and Development, Dakar, Senegal, 8-14 November 1998."" [14/01/02]
New
book celebrates Portugal's Ramsar sites.
The Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation
(ICN) and the Ministry of Environment
and Spatial Planning have just published a well-produced book
on Portugal's wetlands of international importance, notably the twelve sites
on the Ramsar List (authors: João Carlos Farinha, Luís Costa, Anabela Trindade,
Paula Rito Araújo & Emilia Paula Silva). Bibliographic
information and a review of the book by Tobias Salathé are being
made available here in the hope that other Contracting Parties will emulate
this model and strive to do even better. [11/01/02]
RBI
update. River Basin Initiative
cites 17 January meeting in KL and seeks newsletter material.
Oi May Chew, RBI moderator, posted
this update on the RBI discussion group, River-Basin-Initiative@yahoogroups.com,
reposted to the Ramsar Forum: "Just a brief note to update everyone
on what is going on with RBI. There will be a meeting on "Wetlands, Biodiversity
and Climate Change - Key Issues for the Future" in Kuala Lumpur on the
17th of January 2002. It is organised by the Global Environment Centre and sponsored
by the Ramsar Convention and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Conservation."
Here's the rest of it.
[11/01/02]
Anil
Agarwal (1947-2002).
The Secretary General wants to share with the Ramsar family his deep sorrow
at the passing away of Anil Agarwal, the Director of the Centre
for Science and Environment
in New Delhi, India. Anil will be remembered in the environment and development
networks 
around
the world as an untiring NGO fighter who, thanks to his uncompromising and genuine
defense of environmental quality and human dignity, had earned the respect of
NGOs and governments alike. He will be missed in particular this year, when
the international community is preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, an occasion when Anil would have, surely, raised serious challenges
to all those involved. [09/01/02]
Feature
story. Peat
wastage and archaeology in the Somerset wetlands.
Richard Brunning, Somerset Levels
and Moors Archaeologist, Somerset County Council in the UK, reports that "the
evidence suggests that the rate of peat wastage in the Somerset moors is fast
enough to destroy all the known nationally important waterlogged archaeological
remains within the current century. This includes part of the Neolithic Sweet
Track which is featured on your [World Wetlands Day] poster. Many sites are
known to be already suffering from desiccation. The good news is that a partnership
is being developed with many organisations to assess the threat to individual
sites and take measures to provide them with a more sustainable future and also
to present more information to the general public on the cultural heritage of
the Somerset wetlands." Here
is a brief feature story on this UK Ramsar site with further detail and references.
[10/01/02]
Announcement. Call for proposals for coral reef conservation projects. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the USA is calling for proposals for coral reef conservation projects. Both US and international NGOs are eligible and the deadline for applications is 3 April 2002. Read the announcement here. [09/01/02]
Help
for the USA's Delaware Bay Estuary Ramsar site.
Ducks Unlimited have announced
a new agreement, to be signed on 8 January, with the US states of Delaware
and New Jersey "to identify and address water quality
and habitat issues in selected watersheds" associated with the Delaware
Bay Estuary Ramsar site. DU's
press release, posted to the Ramsar Forum by Tildy LaFarge on 3
January, is available here. [04/01/02]
 |
|
Exemplary site sign from Currawinya National Park, Australia, August 2001 |
Vacancy
announcement. BirdLife
International seeks technical adviser for Cameroon project.
The Gashaka
Gumti - Tchabal Mbabo Project, funded by GEF-UNDP, aims, through
a partnership of local communities, government agencies and NGOs to address
the root causes of biodiversity loss in the ecosystems of Gashaka Gumti (Nigeria)
and Tchabal Mbabo (Cameroon). BirdLife International is presently seeking to
appoint a Chief Technical Advisor, to be based in Cameroon on a 15-month posting,
starting in March/April 2002. The announcement is available here.
[link
later removed] [06/01/02]
Ramsar
Web stats. During
the year 2001, 472,121 users visited the Ramsar Web site and viewed 1,691,212
pages; during the latter months of the year, between 1,650 and 1,700 users visited
the site each day, viewing about 5,500 Web pages per day and spending an average
of 15 to 16 minutes on the site during each visit. Many of those users, of course,
are recidivists. At the beginning of 2002, the Ramsar Web site includes 3,830
text pages and 2,180 images. [06/01/02]
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.
Back
Issues of the Bulletin Board. Early in every month, the current edition
of the Bulletin Board is copied to the Ramsar
Archives page, and you can dig through the back issues there --
their contents are still indexed on the Global
Index page in perpetuity.
visitors to this site since...... Wait . . . . . . Take a number and a plastic
chair -- we'll call you when there's room at the head of the queue.