What's
New @ Ramsar What's
New @ Ramsar
5
July
2002
Headline
story. Burundi
becomes the Convention's 133rd Party. The Bureau is very pleased
to report that Burundi deposited its instrument of accession with the Director-General
of UNESCO on 5 June 2002, which means that the Convention will come into force
for Burundi on 5 October 2002. The new Party's first Ramsar site is Delta
de la Rusizi de la Réserve Naturelle de la Rusizi et la partie nord de
la zone littorale du lac Tanganyika (1,000 hectares, 03°20'S
029°20'E), part of the Rusizi Nature Reserve. Comprising the Rusizi delta
and northern shore of Lake Tanganyika, part of the lower Rusizi plain shared
with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the site is considered an
"ornithological paradise" for its stopover and nesting places for
migratory waterbirds and makes an ecological connection between Lakes Tanganyika
and Kivu. In addition to large numbers of aquatic birds, the site supports the
reptiles crocodiles and tortoises in significant numbers and a fish life, dominated
by the Cichlidae, which presents a marked endemicity - the lungfish Protopterus
aethiopicus is also present. Among mammals the hippopotamus is most abundant,
and the sitatunga or marshbuck (Tragelaphus spekei), becoming rare throughout
Africa, can be found within the site. The use of cattails Typha domingensis
in basketry forms an important source of revenue for local people, and customary
fishing is practiced in the lakes of the delta. Rice and cotton growing is carried
out in the surrounding area, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides is seen
as a potential threat to the biodiversity of the delta and lake. The
Ramsar family welcomes this new Party and its fascinating new Ramsar site.
[04/07/02] [français et/y español]
Headline
story. Spain
names Iberia as official air carrier for Ramsar COP8. The
Ministry of Environment of Spain has designated IBERIA as the official carrier
for Ramsar COP8. IBERIA offers the special fares described here. Interested
participants should contact Iberia and make reference to the code given at the
end of this text. / El Ministerio de Medio Ambiente
de España ha designado a la compañía Iberia como transportador
oficial para la COP8 de Ramsar, la que ofrece las ventajas que se describen
a continuación. Para hacer de uso de esta oferta los interesados deben
contactar a Iberia y hacer mención del código que se menciona
al final del texto. / Le Ministère espagnol
de l'Environnement a désigné la compagnie aérienne Iberia
comme transporteur officiel pour la COP8 de Ramsar. Iberia propose à
cette occasion les tarifs spéciaux indiqués ci-dessous. Pour en
bénéficier, les intéressés doivent se mettre en
rapport avec Iberia et mentionner le code indiqué à la fin du
présent document. [05/07/02] [The links
are out of date and have been removed.]
Who's
where?
Delmar Blasco, Secretary General, Margarita Astrálaga, Regional Coordinator for the Americas, and Julio Montes de Oca, Assistant to the Regional Coordinator, are participating in the 2nd Pan-American Regional Meeting in Guayaquil, Ecuador, 1-5 July 2002. Background information here. [01/07/02]
Who was where? Cumulated record of travels throughout the year.
New
on the Site: Small
Grants Fund allocations for 2001; Ramsar
Wetland Conservation Award winners, citations and photos; Ramsar
and poverty alleviation; West
Africa Subregional Meeting report. [02/07/02]
Ramsar
Award winners announced for 2002. The Ramsar Wetland Conservation
Awards were created by the Conference of the Parties in 1996, and the first
Awards were conferred at the opening ceremonies of Ramsar COP7 in San José,
Costa Rica, in 1999. The awards for 2002, to be presented at Ramsar COP8 in
Valencia in November 2002, have now been announced. Their purpose is to recognize
and honor, every three years, individuals, organizations, and government agencies
that have made a significant contribution to wetland conservation and sustainable
use in any part of the world. 
This
year the Awards are recognizing a private company in Australia, a government
agency in India, and a consortium of NGOs in Central Europe. The Ramsar Award
is complemented by the Evian
Special Prize, consisting of US$10,000 generously donated
by the Danone Group (France), owner of Evian Mineral Waters, as part
of a programme of support to the Ramsar Convention.
The 2002 Award winners are: Banrock Station Wines (Australia); The Chilika Development Authority (India); The NGO Trinational Initiative for the Morava-Dyje Floodplain (Czech and Slovak Republics and Austria). In addition, two Recognitions for Excellence have been bestowed upon Dr Monique Coulet of France and Dr Max Finlayson of Australia. The press release is available here, and there you'll find links to the citations and photos of each of these five laureates. [01/07/02] [français et/y español]
Belatedly
available.
Summary of Ramsar Small Grants Fund projects in the 2001 cycle.
The Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
established the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (SGF) with
a view to providing assistance for wetland conservation and wise use in developing
countries and countries with economies in transition.In the 2001 cycle of project
proposals, a total of 49 completed proposals were evaluated by Ramsar staff
and presented to the Standing Committee at its 26th meeting, 3-7 December 2001.
Within the funds available, a total of nine project proposals were approved
for funding in this year's cycle, for a total of 334,890 Swiss francs. In addition,
a further five of the SGF proposals were taken over for funding by Wetlands
International, as part of its agreement with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (DGIS), and by the World Wide Fund
for Nature's Living Waters Programme, for an additional total of
193,979 Swiss francs. Thus, thanks to this additional assistance, a total of
14 Small Grants Fund projects have received funding in the 2001 cycle, for a
total of SFR 528,869 [ca.US$ 330,000 at that time]. Voluntary contributions
directly to the Small Grants Fund in the 2001 cycle have been made by Austria,
Germany, Japan, the UK, and
the USA, and
by WWF Living Waters Programme in addition to its two adopted projects.
Here is a brief description of the 14 projects.
[02/07/02]
Wetlands
International launches Strategy 2002-2005. Wetlands International
has launched its new Strategy, a document that represents the culmination of
two years of collaborative effort from staff, members and partners to re-organize
Wetlands International's programme activities into a coherent and integrated
global plan - it re-defines and clarifies the organization's focus and presents
a clear vision for the future, articulating its major aims for the next four
years. The strategy portrays the organization as "a science-based international
provider of information and advice for the wise use of wetlands worldwide".
The launch letter from Dr Max Finlayson,
President of Wetlands International, is available here, and the document
itself can be downloaded in PDF format from the Wetlands International Web site
at http://www.wetlands.org.[27/06/02]
West
Africa Subregional Meeting reported. On 5-7 June, some 63 representatives
from Ramsar Contracting Parties, the International Organization Partners, and
regional and international organizations gathered in Cotonou, Benin, for the
Convention's subregional meeting for West Africa, Madagascar, and Comoros, with
the hospitality of the Agence Beninoise de l'Environnement and generous financial
assistance from the Governments of Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The participants
identified challenges and outlined actions in five major areas: a unified voice
in COP8; the wise use of all wetlands; designation and management of Ramsar
sites; international cooperation; and implementation capacity. The
agreed conclusions are now available here in English [French to follow],
with a few representative photos. [20/06/02]
Instant wisdom. Or something like it. When you wake up in the middle of the night fretting over the average size of Ramsar sites in Europe vs. those in Oceania, help is now available. Scott Frazier has put up a new information facility on the Wetlands International Web site that at the touch of a button will show you the total current number of Ramsar Contracting Parties, Ramsar sites, surface area, and average site area for the whole world and for each of the formal Ramsar regions, as well as for each of the geographical regions with the Ramsar anomalies smoothed out (for example, Russia's Asian sites counted with Asia rather than Europe, European dependent territory sites in the Caribbean counted with the Neotropics rather than with Europe, etc.). View this new page now, or whenever you want to, at http://www.wetlands.org/RDB/Documents/BASICREG.TXT.
Dominican
Republic joins the Ramsar Convention.
The Ramsar Bureau is delighted to announce that on 15 May 2002 the Dominican
Republic deposited its instrument of accession with the Director-General of
UNESCO, and thus the Convention as amended by the Paris Protocol of 1982 will
enter into force for the Dominican Republic on 15 September 2002. The treaty's
132nd Contracting Party has designated as its first Wetland of International
Importance the Lago Enriquillo (ca.20,000
hectares, 18°28'N 071°39'W), a hypersaline lake formed by an ancient
channel of the sea, at 35km in length the largest lake in the Caribbean, as
well as the surrounding swamps, wet meadows, and irrigated cropland, with one
large and two small islands. The site is significant for the biodiversity of
the region, supporting three of the largest reptiles found on the island, all
of them threatened. It also provides habitat for at least 65 species of domestic
and migratory birds, of which five are considered threatened. Cave decorations
with pictographs and petroglyphs from pre-hispanic Taínos people can
be seen, of which the best example of taíno art can be found on an ancient
coral reef called Las Caritas, an archaeological site frequently visited by
tourists. Diversion of inflowing water for agricultural purposes is perceived
as a potential threat to the ecological character of the site. A visitors' centre
on the Isla Cabritos, the original core of the present National Park, has developed
numerous educational activities.
The Ramsar family welcomes its newest Contracting Party and its 1178th Wetland of International Importance. [18/06/02] [français et/y español]
China:
Workshop on National Wetland Inventory methodology and technology.
"Under the guidance of the Ramsar Convention Implementing Office, China,
on May 20 2002 the national Wetland Monitoring Center at State Forestry Administration
(SFA) organized a workshop on national wetland inventory methodology and technology.
Participants were from Wetland International Asia Pacific, Wetland International-China
Program, and relevant institutes in China Science Academy and some universities.
The workshop focused on addressing technical difficulties that occurred during
the first national wetland inventory, with the purpose of bringing advanced
methodology of international experience into China, so that the previous document,
"Technical Regulations on National Wetland Inventory", could be modified
and completed by finalizing detailed rules for implementation. At last, it is
possible to lay a strong ground for the upcoming second national wetland inventory
and also provide future wetland management with information service. The database
will support future designation of Ramsar sites and how to implement Ramsar
guidelines of wise use. On behalf of the government, Mr. Bao Daming, Director
of Wetland Division at SFA, gave a lecture on general guidelines of national
wetland inventory and monitoring. Dr. Alvin, senior technical officer in WI-
Asia Pacific, offered an introduction on Asia Wetland Inventory and relevant
methodology. Dr. Wang Xuelei from China Science Academy demonstrated how to
apply GS, GPS and GIS to national wetland management. Dr. Huang Guilin, senior
program officer, illustrated how the first national wetland had been carried
out on the basis of current technical regulations. After discussion and communication
by participating experts, China will fulfill its commitments to wetland inventory
in Asia and support WI in this field with better technical capacity." --
Reported by Mr. Leikun, Ramsar Convention Implementing Office, China.
[19/06/02]
Announcement.
CD-ROM guide to endemic and globally threatened flora and
fauna of Tasek Bera. Ms Sim Cheng Hua
of Wetlands International - Malaysia writes: "Tasek Bera, the
first and only Ramsar site of Malaysi,a is located in the southern central section
of Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Pahang. Tasek Bera is a freshwater swamp
system with various types of wetland habitat and it supports a great diversity
of flora and fauna, including 374 plant species, more than 200 birds, 10 turtles,
68 mammals and 94 fish species. This CD-ROM includes 32 species of endemic and
globally threatened flora and fauna of Tasek Bera. Tasek Bera has been inhabited
for over 600 years by a group of indigenous people called Semelai. Currently,
about 2,000 indigenous Semelai people live in and around Tasek Bera and they
depend much on the natural resources for their livelihood. Therefore, it is
most important to highlight the significance of the endemic and globally threatened
flora and fauna to the locals and visitors of Tasek Bera in order to conserve
the endemic and globally threatened flora and fauna of Tasek Bera Ramsar site."
For more information, sim@wiap.nasionet.net.
[18/06/02]
Good
Factoid.
Ramsar in developed/developing countries. According to the World
Bank's Marina Cracco, based upon Scott Frazier's
numbers from the Ramsar Sites Database at Wetlands International, out of 1175
Ramsar sites a few days ago, in developed countries there are 674 Ramsar sites
(57%), covering 26,035,802 hectares. In developing countries and countries with
economies in transition there are 501 Ramsar sites, covering 76,069,711 hectares
(74%). [17/06/02]
Cooperative
project for Chile's Andean wetlands. La Corporación Nacional
Forestal de Chile (CONAF) y la Convención de Ramsar se complacen en anunciar
la aprobación del proyecto "Plan de Acción para la Conservación
y Desarollo de los Humedales Altoandinos en Chile". El proyecto será
financiado en su totalidad a través de una generosa contribución
de US$30.800 de la compañía Minera Escondida
Ltda., a través de la gestión de su Presidente, Sr.
Bruce L. Turner. La compañía ha mostrado continuamente una gran
disposición a fortalecer los lazos entre el sector privado y las autoridades
ambientales en Chile. El proyecto esta destinado a establecer la planificación
integral de las acciones y mecanismos de conservación y desarrollo de
humedales altoandinos seleccionados en las regiones de Tarapacá, Antofagasta,
y Atacama. Para mayor información sobre este proyecto favor contactar
al Sr. Juan Pablo Contreras, Director General CONAF-Antofagasta (jcontrer@conaf.cl)
y al Sr. Bruce L. Turner, Presidente, Minera Escondida Ltda. (escondida@chilnet.cl).
The National Forest Corporation of Chile (CONAF) and the Ramsar Convention are pleased to announce the approval of the project "Action Plan for Development and Conservation of Andean Wetlands in Chile". The project will be financed entirely with a generous contribution of US$30,800 from the company Minera Escondida Ltda., through the efforts of its President, Mr. Bruce L. Turner. The company has continuously shown a great disposition to strengthen the links between the private sector and the environmental authorities in Chile. The project is aimed at establishing integral planning of the conservation and development mechanisms and actions in the regions of Tarapacá, Antofagasta and Atacama. For more information on this project, please contact Mr. Juan Pablo Contreras, Director General CONAF-Antofagasta (jcontrer@conaf.cl) and Mr. Bruce L. Turner, President, Minera Escondida Ltda. (escondida@chilnet.cl). [14/06/02]
Announcement.
More details on upcoming "Role of Wetlands in Biosphere
Reserves" workshop. The Czech National Committee for the UNESCO
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), the Czech Ramsar Committee, and the Pálava
Biosphere Reserve are hosting a wetland workshop in Mikulov from 13 to 18 October,
the main aims of which are to provide UNESCO/ MAB with guidelines on: 1) the
full use of the various values wetlands provide to biosphere reserves where
they are present; 2) the evaluation of wetlands prior to their incorporation
into both existing and new biosphere reserves; 3) the appreciation of the importance
of biosphere reserves containing significant proportions of wetlands for environmental
management, nature conservation and sustainable development on a broader scale
(regional, national, continental, etc.); and 4) the coordination of activities
postulated by the Seville strategy for biosphere reserves and those postulated
by the Ramsar Convention, in wetlands which are simultaneously (parts of) biosphere
reserves and wetlands of international importance listed under the Ramsar Convention.
More registration and travel
details are now available here. [14/06/02]
UK
names two new sites in Northern Ireland. The Bureau is pleased to
announce that the United Kingdom has designated two small new Ramsar sites in
Northern Ireland. Fardrum and Roosky Turloughs
(43 ha; 54°24'N 007°43'W) consists of three "turloughs" in
a group, the only ones in Northern Ireland and the most northerly occurrence
of this lake type in Ireland and the UK - intermittent lakes and pools in a
limestone basin, wherein inflowing water rises through the limestone with changes
in groundwater levels and flows out again via sinks, which can be clearly seen
during dry periods. The area is particularly rich in types of water beetles.
Over-grazing by domestic livestock, vegetation succession, and eutrophication
are perceived as potential threats. Turmennan Lough
(15 ha; 54°23'N 005°42'W) is a valley mire, transitional
between fen and bog, characterized by a broad range of surface conditions, ranging
from slightly base-rich to markedly acidic, influenced by the position of the
ground water table in the surface peat layer. The main plant community of the
mire surface is an extensive mixed sedge sward dominated by Bottle Sedge Carex
rostrata, growing over a carpet of brown mosses that are replaced by Sphagnum
bog mosses where the water is more acidic. The diversity of wetland habitats
support a rich invertebrate community that includes notable water beetles and
several locally distributed species of Odonata. Livestock grazing is the principal
land use in the area. The UK presently has 169 Wetlands of International Importance.
[14/06/02] [français et/y
español]
Argentina
designates large saline lake Mar Chiquita.The
Bureau is delighted to announce that effective 28 May 2002 the Republic of Argentina
has designated its 11th site for the Ramsar List, the fascinating Bañados
del Río Dulce y Laguna de Mar Chiquita (ca. 996,000 hectares,
30°23'S 062°46'W) in Córdoba Province. The largest and most important
endorheic catchment in Argentina, the site comprises the Mar Chiquita (one of
the largest saline lakes in the world, with waters varying between saline and
hypersaline), the expansive swamps of the Río Dulce (or Río Petri)
on the northern shore, and the mouths of several secondary rivers to the south.
The site fulfils all eight of the Ramsar Criteria and is considered one of the
most important wetlands in Argentina and in the Chaco ecoregion in terms of
the richness of its biodiversity in a range from freshwater to very saline.
A number of species meet the waterbird Criteria, including Egretta thula
(400,000 individuals), Phalaropus tricolor (200,000), Phalacrocorax
olivaceus (42,000), Bubulcus ibis (60,000), and Plegadis chihi
(400,000), and at least 4 species above the 1% threshold. Some 27 species
of fish are known to breed in the site. Livestock raising and fishing are principal
land uses, with some forestry and agriculture. The area holds enormous anthropological
interest for the ancient peoples and lifestyles in evidence and abundance of
archaeological sites. There
are presently 1175 wetlands under the Ramsar umbrella, covering 102,105,513
hectares, of which Argentina's 11 boast 2,669,589 ha. [12/06/02]
[français et/y español]
Ramsar
Outreach Programme under review. Resolution
VII.9 of Ramsar COP7, San José, 1999, adopted the Outreach Programme
for the Convention on Wetlands for the period 1999-2002, by which the Contracting
Parties committed themselves to promoting public awareness of wetland values
and functions and the Ramsar wise use principles to the best of their abilities.
In particular, the Parties resolved to appoint governmental and non-governmental
national focal points to create an international network for communication,
education, and public awareness (CEPA) on wetland values and to develop a national
wetland outreach action plan to aid in that work. Some progress has been made
in fulfilment of that Programme, but as the triennium draws to a close, much
more remains to be done. The Ad Hoc Outreach Group has been developing a draft
Programme for 2002-2005, and on 10-11 June a drafting group met in the Ramsar
Bureau to push the work forward. Here
is a brief report and a few photos. [13/06/02]
Ramsar
and the CBD's work on inland water ecosystems. On 12 June 2002, Nick
Davidson, Deputy Secretary General, and Carmen
Revenga (WRI, on loan to Ramsar) travel
to Wageningen, Netherlands, to participate in the Liaison Group meeting on 13-15
June for the CBD's review and elaboration of their programme of work on inland
water ecosystems, which will be considered by CBD's SBSTTA8 in early 2003 and
its COP7 in 2004. This work forms a key element of the CBD/Ramsar 3rd Joint
Work Plan (2002-2006) which was approved by CBD COP6, since through CBD's
COP3 Decision III/21 Ramsar acts as a lead partner in the implementation of
CBD activities related to wetlands. The preparations of the review and elaboration
of the programme of work, including holding this Liaison Group meeting, have
been made possible by the financial support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (DGIS) under the "Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands - Global
Programme" managed by Wetlands International,
who are hosting the Liaison Group meeting. The Ramsar Bureau is facilitating
the work of preparing the review the inland waters programme of work, through
managing the funding from DGIS through Wetlands International and, at the request
of CBD secretariat, the engagement of two consultants: Carmen Revenga
(currently based in the Bureau) and Yumiko Kura of the World
Resources Institute are preparing a review of the state of knowledge
of the status and trends of inland water biodiversity; and Bill Phillips
(formerly Ramsar's Deputy Secretary General) is preparing the draft review and
elaboration of proposals for the future inland waters programme of work. [12/06/02]
Ramsar
staff news.
Angela Casser joins the Ramsar Bureau briefly.
Ms Angela Casser, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne in Australia,
has joined the Bureau for a few months in order to pursue her doctoral studies
in both Law and Geography, on "emerging international transboundary aspects
of catchment management in Australia: a study of the effects of agriculture
on wetlands habitat of international migratory birds, and Australia's international
commitments to the Ramsar Convention and the China-Australia Migratory Bird
Agreement". Whilst here, she will be working with Nick Davidson on a review
of transboundary Wetlands of International Importance and their current management
status. [12/06/02]
Bolivia
designates an important lake in the Chaco ecoregion. The Bureau is
pleased to report that the Government of Bolivia has designated Laguna
Concepción (31,124 hectares, 17°31'S 61°21'W) in the
Chaco ecoregion as its 7th Wetland of International Importance. The new site
comprises a lake and associated wetlands that is representative of the wetlands
of the Gran Chaco, characterized by a flat area of woodland and scrub marsh
with poor drainage. The expanse of open water of some 6,179 ha is surrounded
by palm groves of Copernicia alba and the southern cattail Typha domingensis.
The lake is one of the most significant bodies of water in the east of Santa
Cruz province, particularly important for wintering migratory birds from both
northern and southern hemispheres, as well as for large mammals. The area was
formerly inhabited by indigenous 
people
pursuing a nomadic hunting and gathering way of life, but presently it is occupied
by private cattle ranchers and by indigenous people and campesinos practicing
the same occupation. Over-grazing and over-hunting are among potential threats
to the ecological character of the site. WWF-Bolivia and the Living Waters Programme
have been instrumental in preparing this important site for designation. [11/06/02]
[français
et/y español]
University
of La Plata begins programme on pampasic wetlands. Ing. Galo
O. Delavault, PREGAHP Co-ordinator, announces that the Facultad de
Ciencias Naturales y Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata has recently
approved the creation of the Programme for the Study and Management of Pampasic
Wetlands (PREGAHP). This programme is addressed to the study and management
of natural and artificial wetlands in the Province of Buenos Aires. It encompasses
several integrated disciplines with the purpose of attaining a scientific knowledge
permitting the development of sustainable environmental policies. At present,
the PREGAHP has the participation of more than twenty professionals (researchers,
lecturers, and members of governmental organizations) specialized in different
branches of the physical and biological environment. In addition, several graduate
students whose directors are part of the programme´s staff are becoming
involved. Some postgraduate courses related to the proposed activity are being
prepared.
The directors, Lic. Fernando De Francesco and Dr. Juan Alberto Schnack, note that among the programme's several objectives are the elaboration of systematic inventories of pampasic wetlands, descriptions of their more conspicuous physical and biotic components, the nature and intensity of human interventions on them, and the identification of the nature and magnitude of potential environmental impacts and the most adequate measures to mitigate their deleterious effects. More information about the Programa para el Estudio y Gestión Ambiental de Humedales Pampásicos is available from Galo Delavault - Fiscalía de Estado (delavault@fiscalia.gba.gov.ar). [10/06/02]
World
Environment Day. Peru celebrates World Environment
Day with new Ramsar site -- The Convention on Wetlands now covers over 100 million
hectares. The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran,
1971) is delighted to announce that, on the occasion of World
Environment Day, 5 June 2002, the wetlands included in the List of
Wetlands of International Importance have now surpassed 100,000,000 hectares
(one million square kilometres). The Government of Peru has chosen to celebrate
World Environment Day by making a commitment to sustainable use for a vast complex
of rivers and streams, lakes, marshes, and swamp forests in the upper Amazon
region. The new Ramsar site, known as Complejo de humedales
del Abanico del río Pastaza in Loreto department, covers more
than 3.8 million hectares, bringing the total surface area that has been brought
under the Ramsar umbrella around the world to 101,078,389 hectares. Peru now
has 8 Ramsar sites covering 6,759,388 hectares, a greater Ramsar area than any
other nations except Canada, Russia, and Botswana. Here
are the details. [05/06/02] [français
et/y español]
World
Environment Day. Launch of the Tri-National
Wetlands Initiative. At ceremonies in Bali, Indonesia, 5 June 2002,
the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
and the Ramsar Bureau have organized a side event to the 4th Preparatory Committee
meeting for the World Summit for Sustainable Development in order to launch
the Tri-National Wetlands Initiative. The
Initiative, a WWF Gift to the Earth, will
provide a model for collaborative approaches to wetland management in three
conservation areas covering 3 million hectares of internationally significant
wetlands in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. Delmar Blasco, Secretary
General, is speaking briefly, along with Michele Bowe, WWF Indonesia; the Hon
Dr Muhammad Prakosa, Minister of Forestry of Indonesia; the Hon Dr David Kemp,
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Australia; Dr Wari Iamo, representing
the Minister for Environment and Conservation, Papua New Guinea; and Mr Jamie
Pittock, Director of WWF's Living Waters Campaign. Here
is the text of the Secretary General's brief address to the gathering.
[05/06/02]
Report
available. Ramsar's 2nd Oceania Regional
Meeting report is presented to the anxious public. The regional meeting
for Oceania, in preparation for Ramsar COP8, was held in the SPREP training
center in Apia, Samoa, 6-8 May 2002, with financial assistance from Australia,
the USA, and France, and was attended by representatives from American Samoa,
Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Kingdom
of Tonga, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands,
Papua New Guinea, Republic of Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, as
well as the Australian National University, BirdLife International, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the South Pacific Regional
Environment Program (SPREP), Wetlands International, World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF), United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
and the University of the South Pacific. The
report and some photos are now available here. [07/06/02]
Photos
available. Subgroups
redivivus. The Standing Committee Subgroups on Finance and COP8 convened
in Gland, Switzerland, 15-17 May, to make semi-final preparations for the 8th
meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties -- the report of the
Subgroup on COP8 is available here, and the report on the Finance Subgroup
will probably come along soon, and in the meantime, here
are the photos! [07/06/02]
From
the Ramsar Forum.
Bureau seeks help for Incentives Working Group.
Alain Lambert, the Bureau's Senior Adviser
for Environment and Development Cooperation, is seeking help to create a small,
rather informal network of people from different parts of the world interested
in working on incentives for wetland conservation and wise use. Here
is his message to the Ramsar Forum. [07/06/02]
Tanzania
designates rich new Ramsar site. The Bureau is delighted to announce
that the United Republic of Tanzania has named an enormous new Ramsar site in
the south central part of the country. The Kilombero
Valley Floodplain site (25/04/02; Morogoro Region; 796,735 ha; 08°40’S
036°10’E) covers some 260km by 52km fed by many rivers and with huge
seasonal variations in the water dynamics, embodying an exceptionally wide variety
of wetland types and fulfilling all eight of the Ramsar Criteria. High concentrations
of large mammals, especially Puku antelope Kobus vardoni (with nearly
75% of the world population), buffalo, elephant, hippotamus, and lion, are supported,
and three endemic birds are known. Two fish species (Citharinus congicus
and Alestes stuhlmanni) are endemic to the site and downstream in the
Rufiji River. Fishing has traditionally been the primary resource use, though
agriculture (especially rice farming) is rapidly expanding, as is cattle grazing
due to immigrant pastoralists. Irish Aid has been active in supporting wise
use development projects since 1999, and it is planned that Ramsar designation
will be followed up by Government wise use initiatives with support from Danish
Foreign Aid (Danida). Tourism is largely represented by organized hunting in
the dry season, which communities feel bring few local economic benefits. The
new designation is Tanzania’s third Ramsar site, covering a total of 4,271,516
hectares, and brings the Convention’s totals to 1172 sites covering 97,251,060
ha. [04/06/02]
Photos
available. Berbak Park in Indonesia. In
completing his master's studies in 2000, Asril conducted field research
at the Berbak Park Ramsar site in Indonesia on behalf of the government's Agency
for the Assessment and Application of Technology. Berbak, one of the world's
best known expanses of wetland, located in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia,
had been hard hit by the fires of 1997, and Asril's task was conduct field measurements
on the extent of recovery. Here
are some of his photos taken in the course of his studies. [04/06/02]
English
Heritage launches Wetlands Strategy. On 28 May 2002, English Heritage,
the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment (sponsored by
the Ministry for Culture, Media and Sport - DCMS), organised in London a seminar
on the historic environment in England's wetlands at the occasion of the launch
of its Wetlands Strategy, introduced by Adrian Olivier. A handful of speakers,
representing archeology and historical science, as well as ecology and the administrative
bodies responsible for cultural and natural heritage management (English Heritage,
English Nature), covered current issues, practice and policies for better integrated
management decisions and debated what can be learnt from the past in shaping
the future. The Ramsar Bureau was invited to present the new "Guiding principles
for identifying the cultural aspects of wetlands and incorporating them into
the effective management of sites", proposed to COP8 for adoption. Here
is Tobias Salathé's report on the meeting and the significance of this
new initiative. [03/06/02]
Sweden
designates 21 new Ramsar sites. At the 7th meeting of the Conference
of the Parties, in San José in 1999, Sweden pledged to add 21 new Ramsar
sites before the next COP, and it has now fulfilled that promise. Twenty-one
new Wetlands of International Importance, totaling 125,870 hectares, have been
added to the List, and nine of the thirty existing Swedish Ramsar sites have
had their boundaries extended, in some cases significantly. The new sites are
located in nearly all parts of the country and embody a broad array of wetland
types, values and functions, in hydrological as well as in biological terms.
Sweden, now with 51 Wetlands of International Importance, has leapt past Italy,
Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Canada, the Russian Federation, and Germany to third
place in the total number of Ramsar sites (behind only the UK and Australia)
- its total number of hectares under the umbrella of the Convention is now over
half a million, at 514,500. The Convention itself, with its 131 Contracting
Parties, now has 1171 Ramsar sites (with two more already approved and ready
to be added to the List), totaling 96,454,325 hectares.
Brief descriptions of the 21 new Ramsar sites can be seen here, and a list of the previously-announced new site extensions is also available. [30/05/02] [français et/y español]
Announcement.
Standing Committee's Subgroup on COP8 meeting report available.
The final report of the Subgroup's
meeting of 15-17 May 2002 is now available (English only) and is being
distributed to members and observers. The decisions themselves from within the
report will soon be available in English, French, and Spanish. The report of
the concurrent Subgroup on Finance meeting will also be available soon, as will
photographs of both meetings. [31/05/02]
Collaboration
on the management of Polesie wetlands in Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine.
On 22-24 May 2002, about 140 specialists from Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania
and other countries, including representatives of several international organisations
and conservation NGOs, gathered in Minsk, the capital of the Republic of Belarus,
for the second international conference on the ecology and conservation of
floodplains and lowland mires in the Polesie region, exactly five years
after the first conference on this topic in May 1997. The Polesie region is
shared among Belarus, Poland and Ukraine - the Pripyat river forms its central
artery, flowing eastwards to enter the Dniepr soon after crossing the Ukrainian
border near ill-starred Tchernobyl. Tobias Salathé uses the occasion
of a report on this conference to describe the fascinating region, its values,
and its issues, with photos of the Pripyat Ramsar site. Click
here now. [28/05/02]
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WWF and
Ramsar sign collaborative agreement. Throughout the 1960s, the World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was instrumental in negotiations which led to the
signing of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, and over the
many years since that time WWF has been so vitally important in delivering the
Ramsar objectives at global and local levels that the organization has long
been formally recognized as one of the four official "International Organization
Partners" of the Convention (with BirdLife International, IUCN-The World
Conservation Union, and Wetlands International). 
Most
particularly in recent years, amongst many other efforts across the whole organization,
the WWF Living Waters Programme has been exceptionally forthcoming, in terms
of expertise, labor, and funding support, in assisting new accessions of Parties,
designations of new Ramsar sites, and management planning guidance in Africa,
Asia, South America and the news pages of the Ramsar Web site are filled with
tributes to this dedicated collaboration and convergence of goals. Thus it may
seem odd that, in all these years, WWF has been the only Partner with which
the Ramsar Bureau had not got round to concluding a formal collaborative agreement
- but finally that oversight has been put right. On 16 May 2002, in the course
of the Standing Committee's Subgroup meetings in Gland, Switzerland, Dr Claude
Martin, Director General of WWF International, and Delmar Blasco, Ramsar's
Secretary General, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that lays out plainly
the areas of collaboration and joint commitment. The
text of the MOC and photos of the signing are available here. [24/05/02]
[français et/y español]
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University students participate in wetlands and Ramsar awareness programme in China. WWF has launched its second annual Wetland Ambassadors Action campaign, calling for university students across China to submit proposals for raising awareness amongst government officials, farmers and other stakeholders on the importance and benefits of conserving China's rivers and lakes. The primary goal of the project, supported by WWF, the Ramsar Convention Implementing Office of the State Forestry Bureau (SFA), and China Youth Daily, is to reach out to stakeholders living in or around one of China's 21 Ramsar Sites to increase their support for wetland conservation and sustainable use issues. The project involves university students to implement the campaign. Zhang Yifei of WWF China has provided this summary of the project and its objectives. [24/05/02]
Photos
available. Ramsar
British evening and Highlands haggis hunt. Here at some remove of
time from the original event, finally are revealing photos of haggis and other
carefully-labeled Welsh, English, and Scottish traditional foods and other things
they eat, presented to and consumed rapidly by Ramsar Bureau staff on British
Night, October 2001, available for viewing just before Ramsar Swiss Night, 1
June 2002, which promises to be just as embarrassing. Photos
of Ramsar staff and the haggis hunter wielding a great ugly knife upon the poor
little haggises are available here. [24/05/02]
New
Web site for MedWet. The MedWet Web site has now been renamed
(from www.medwet.gr to www.medwet.org)
and re-structured into a brand new site featuring the latest Web designing techniques.
It has moreover started to be updated again, after a pause of nine months. Inevitably,
the process will be gradual and it will take some time until the Web site is
fully updated. Both your tolerance and your suggestions are requested in order
to fulfil this task. Maria Anagnostopoulou, MedWet Communications Officer;
Panayotis Vroustouris, MedWet webmaster. [23/05/02]
Two
new publications from the Wetlands International Black Sea Programme. Wetlands
International announces the appearance of two new publications on the Black
Sea. Black Sea Wetlands Conservation Priorities,
bearing the fruits of two international workshops, includes descriptions of
the current status of the Black Sea wetlands and their conservation, and priorities
for their conservation with recommended actions. The Directory
of Azov-Black Sea Wetlands consists of an introduction and a series
of national reports, followed by site descriptions of 94 wetlands in Bulgaria,
Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey, and Ukraine,
32 of which are already Ramsar sites. More
details are available here. [23/05/02]
Prespa
update. The
Third Regular Meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Prespa Transboundary
Park was held in the old Albanian city of Korça on 17-18 May 2002. Here
is a brief report from Ramsar's representative there, Thymio Papayannis.
[24/05/02]
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.