Recommendation 1.6: [Assessment of wetland values]

The 1st Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
Cagliari, Italy
24-29 November 1980

The Conference

INFORMED by the Contracting Parties that many listed Ramsar sites and other wetlands of international importance are under threat because of certain human activities;

NOTING that, globally, many wetlands are being eliminated by, inter alia, filling, drainage, reclamation, intensive agriculture and aquaculture, and industrial activities or are seriously endangered by pollution and eutrophication;

RECALLING that wetlands may, directly or indirectly, have a potential value exceeding that obtained from transforming them into other types of land;

RECOMMENDS that, in case of any projected large-scale wetland transformation, the decision is not taken until an assessment of all the values involved has been made, and that ecologists be included in the planning process;

RECOMMENDS further that international funding agencies and bilateral and multilateral development aid should also finance such assessments.