30th anniversary celebrations of the Ramsar Convention in Austria

The Austrian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (i.e. the “Life Ministry”), Nikolaus Berlakovich, the regional Minister Andreas Liegenfeld of the federal state Burgenland, and Mayor Vinzenz Knor welcomed many participants to the anniversary ceremony on the sunny terrace of Güssing castle to celebrate the implementation of the Ramsar Convention in Austria on 18 April 2013. More [17/05/13]

Cleanup of the Wadi Wurayah Ramsar Site, UAE

On 1st May 2013, the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) and Fujairah Municipality, led 150 volunteers to carry out a cleanup of the Wadi Wurayah Ramsar Site. The event was attended by H.E. Engineer Mohammed Saif Al Afkham (Managing Director, Fujairah Municipality) and Mr. Anada Tiéga (Secretary General, Ramsar Convention of Wetlands). More [16/05/13]

CEPA stories now online - Share your own CEPA success story!

Read some of Ramsar’s CEPA Focal Points best success stories on our Ramsar Community website. Join us on a trip around the world with our interactive map and find out what our Focal Points did and why they felt it was successful. Your journey starts here http://community.ramsar.org/.

And what about your success story? Do you have a CEPA story to share? Click on the globe below the map and start writing, we’re waiting to hear from you! [16/05/13]

Visit by the Ramsar Secretary General to Oman and the UAE

From 27 April to 3 May 2013, the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, Mr. Anada Tiéga led a small team from the Secretariat of the Convention to the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. More [14/05/13]

Vacancy for Intern/Assistant to the Senior Regional Advisor for Asia/Oceania Region

The Ramsar Secretariat welcomes applications for the position of Intern/Assistant to the Senior Regional Advisor for the Asia/Oceania region, a 12-month posting (possibly extendable up to 18 months) in the Ramsar Secretariat in Switzerland to begin at the end of October 2013. IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, provides administrative services for the Ramsar Convention, and more information and online application for this post is available on the IUCN website at: https://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=546

The deadline for applications is 10 June 2013. Note: A candidate should SUBMIT HIS/HER APPLICATION ONLINE, USING THE LINK ABOVE. No other method of application will be considered. [13/05/2013]

Designation of three Bulgaro-Romanian Transboundary Ramsar Sites

Through a joint letter of 15 April 2013, the Romanian Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Waters have requested the Ramsar Secretariat to recognize three already earlier listed Ramsar Sites, part of the Lower Danube Green Corridor, as Transboundary Ramsar Sites. Read more. (07/05/13)

Who's Where?

Tobias Salathé, Senior Regional Advisor for Europe will be at the Unesco World Heritage Centre, Paris for the planning meeting of the Ramsar Culture Network steering group (to follow-up on DOC. SC46-10) on 13 May. He will then participate in the inaugural meeting of the new Finnish Ramsar Committee in Oulu, Finland, from 20-22 May. [08/05/13]

SG Anada Tiega is in Oman and UAE to enhance involvement of Arab countries in Ramsar and wetland conservation & wise use from 25 April to 3 May. He will then be in the Republic of Korea to attend the National Wetland Week. He will also discuss the concept of city accreditation to set the ground for further discussions. On 12 May, he will travel to Egypt to provide input on wetland issues at Senghor University. On this occasion, an MOU will be signed. He will be back on 15 May with a stopover in Paris to meet with the organizers of the PlanetWorkshops. Back in the office on 17 May. [29/04/13]

Paul Ouedraogo, Senior Regional Advisor for Africa is in Burkina Faso from 27 April to 14 May 2013 to train Ramsar Sites Managers (training of trainers: 15 Sites Managers), and assist the Government to develop the Management Plan of Ramsar Site Lake Dem (Site N°1882). He will also facilitate a one-day workshop with Members of Parliament and Mayors on Wetlands Issues and help selection of new Ramsar Sites. [29/04/13]

For more old Ramsar Secretariat travel news, see also 'Who Was Where', 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 , 2012

Yesterday's News

Management plan for the Beung Kiat Ngong Ramsar Site, Lao PDR

The Beung Kiat Ngong Wetland, Lao PDR was designated as a Ramsar Site in September 2010 when the country acceded to the Ramsar Convention. The wetland is unique because of its diverse range of wetland types, such as lakes, marshes, and peatlands, for being an important spawning site for fish, and for having a high biodiversity value. At the same time, the site also supports the livelihoods of some 11,500 people in 13 villages. More [06/05/13]

Turkey designates a unique volcano caldera

The government of Turkey has named as its 14th Wetland of International Importance the Nemrut Caldera (Nemrut Kalderasi), the caldera of the Nemrut volcano located on the western shore of Lake Van in the eastern part of Turkey (Eastern Anatolia) and one of the most important wetlands of Bitlis province. Read more. (03/05/13)

Oman becomes Ramsar’s 167th Contracting Party

UNESCO, the Ramsar Convention’s depositary, has informed the Secretariat that as of 19 April 2013 Oman has completed the formalities and deposited its instrument of accession with the Director-General, along with the required name and map of at least one Wetland of International Importance. Thus the Ramsar community can warmly welcome the Sultanate of Oman as the 167th Contracting Party, for which the Convention will enter into force four months from that accession date, i.e., 19 August 2013. Read more. (02/05/13)

Montelimar, Nicaragua: 3rd Meeting of the Regional Initiative for the Conservation and Wise Use of Mangroves and Coral Reefs

The meeting was opened by the Minister of Environment of Nicaragua, Mrs Juanita Argueñal who gave a warm welcome to the initiative’s country delegates and the representatives of the different organizations. The Minister highlighted the relevance to work jointly and with the communities to face the many challenges of environmental issues. More | Español [02/05/13]

Kiribati joins the Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Secretariat is delighted to welcome Kiribati to the Ramsar family as its 166th Contracting Party, for which the Convention, as amended in 1982 and 1987, will come into force on 3 August 2013. Preliminary information about Kiribati's first Ramsar Site, No'oto-North Tarawa, can be seen here. [01/05/13]