The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 4 September 2001

4 September 2001

Long-awaited report. Ramsar Mission report on Ebro Delta, here, now! The long-awaited Ramsar Mission Report no 43 on the Delta del Ebro, Cataluña, España, has leapt in an exuberant manner over its last official hurdles and has now become part of the public record. Led by the Bureau's Dr Tobias Salathé and invited experts Dr Patrick Dugan, consultant, and Dra María José Viñals of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia/SEHUMED, with the participation of a number of Spanish experts, the mission visited the site in September 2000 and has been passing its semi-semi-final report back and forth amongst scientific personnel and government officials at all levels over the past year, and the report is now poised to become part of our common environmental heritage. Here is the final report in Spanish, and here is the English summary. [4/9/01]

Headline story. The United Kingdom stands by international status of listed wetlands. On 12 July 2001 the UK Government announced decisions on the first of its Multi-Modal Studies examining some of the most severe transport problems around the country. The study looked at transport issues in Kent and the area around Hastings in southeast England. Although the proposed highway bypasses would offer the opportunity for environmental improvement within Hastings, they would themselves cut through areas of designated high environmental value. Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, said: "Both 'A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England' and the Ten Year Plan provide a strong presumption against harming sensitive sites including sites of special scientific interest, AONBs and habitats given international protection. The requirements of the Ramsar convention would only permit damage to the Pevensey levels site in the 'urgent national interest' and the Ramsar policy statement issued by DETR in November 2000 makes it clear that derogation of the urgent national interest can be used only where there are no alternatives and the benefits of the development demonstrably outweigh the acknowledged international status of the site. In my view, the balance of the arguments presented in favour of the bypasses is not sufficient to outweigh these very strong environmental requirements. I believe, therefore, we must look for alternative means to prevent the further decline of the area and to optimise its economic potential." [29/08/01]

Who's where? 

Delmar Blasco, the Secretary General, is in Japan for meetings with Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, the Minister of Environment, and Mr. Shigeo Uetake, Senior Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as further discussions with JICA, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, and with the Secretary General of the World Water Forum 3 (2003), Mr. Hideaki Oda. He will also have a meeting with the Mayor of Nagoya city, a visit to the Fujimae tidal flats, a visit to the Sanbanze wetlands in Tokyo Bay (all organized by the Japan Action Wetlands Network, JAWAN), and a meeting with the Governor of Chiba Prefecture, Ms Akiko Domoto. Finally he will chair one of the working groups at the "World Summit for Sustainable Development - International Eminent Persons Meeting on Inter-linkages", organized by the United Nations University and the Government of Japan. He will return to the Bureau on 5 September before departing for consultations in Argentina and Boliva on the 7^th – more on that later. [28/08/01]

Anada Tiéga, Regional Coordinator for Africa, says, "I am leaving tomorrow for a trip to Burundi and Sudan. In both countries, I will attend a national workshop on Ramsar and wetlands. Both countries are taking steps for accession to the Ramsar Convention and all relevant national institutions will participate in the national workshop which is intended to accelerate the process of accession and to set the grounds for the implementation of the Convention. The workshops are organised thanks to the financial assistance from the Swiss Grant Fund for 2001. I will be in Burundi from 29 August to 2 September and Sudan from 4 to 7 September. On my way to Sudan, I will make a stop in Nairobi where I will visit our Administrative Authority and the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Africa on Monday 3 September. I will be back in the office on September 10. Thanks. Anada." [29/08/01]

New on the Site: Long-awaited Ramsar Advisory Mission report for the Ebro Delta in Spain, September 2000, with English summary; Further documents for the South American regional meeting in Argentina; Society of Wetland Scientists' call for Ramsar grant proposals. [04/09/01]

News from the SGF. Latvia completes SGF project for Teici Reserve. The Ramsar Small Grants Fund 1999 project "Measures to improve the management of the Teici Nature Reserve Ramsar site and surrounding wetlands" has been successfully completed. It was carried out by the Administration of Teici Nature Reserve and partly financed by the European Habitat Conservation Stamp programme, run jointly by FACE (Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU) and Wetlands International. During the project implementation, The Teici Wetland Foundation (TWF) was established as the financial instrument for purchase/lease and management of land for nature conservation around the Teici Reserve Ramsar site. The SGF project contributed to the purchase of two most valuable land properties in Teici and provided seed money for future work. View a brief report and an annex of photographs and further detail, right here. [27/08/01]

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia declares succession. On 3 July 2001 the Director-General of UNESCO received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia a notification that the FR of Yugoslavia accepted the Ramsar Convention as a successor State to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia "and undertakes faithfully to perform and carry out the stipulations therein contained as from April 27, 1992, the date upon which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia assumed responsibility for its international relations". Yugoslavia confirmed the Ramsar status of its four existing listed sites, Ludasko Lake, Obedska Bara, Skadarsko Jezero, and Stari Begej. [27/08/01]

Argentina ratifies the Regina Amendments. The Government of the Argentine Republic, in the person of President Fernando de la Rua, has deposited with UNESCO its instruments of acceptance of the amendments to Articles 6 and 7 (1987); in accordance with the terms of Article 10bis, the amendments will enter into force for Argentina on the first day of the fourth month following the date of deposit of its instrument, i.e., 1 October 2001. The Argentine Republic availed itself of the opportunity to renew its reservation concerning the United Kingdom’s extension of its ratification of the Regina Amendments "to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and reasserts its sovereignty over those islands" (UNESCO translation). [24/08/01]

Announcement. Request for proposals to the Society of Wetland Scientists' Ramsar Support grant programme. The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) is soliciting proposals to their Ramsar Support Grant Program, which was established to advance Ramsar Convention objectives, including the selection, designation, management, and networking of Ramsar sites; and the promotion of Ramsar's Wise Use guidelines. Two to four projects are funded each year at a level of US $5,000 on a competitive basis as reviewed by a 4-member Evaluation Committee. Eric Gilman's posting to the Ramsar Forum provides more detail. [24/08/01]

Mission to Czech Republic -- report available. In June 2001, the Ramsar Bureau carried out a Ramsar Advisory Mission to the Sumava (or Shumava) Peatlands Ramsar site, at the invitation of the Czech Government, and studied recent problems of outbreaks of bark beetle populations, as well as the potential environmental impacts of proposed remedies, and the need for transboundary management with Germany on related problems. The RAM report, prepared by invited expert Hans Joosten and Tobias Salathé of the Ramsar Bureau, with the help of government and NGO experts from the Czech Republic, is now available on this Web site (with some photos). [22/08/01]

Armenia completes Ramsar project on management plans for Lake Sevan wetlands. A Ramsar project in Armenia on the "Implementation of the Ramsar Strategic Plan in the management of wetlands in Sevan National Park" has been finalised. Carried out by Orientation (the Professional and Entrepreneurial Orientation Union) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Nature Protection and with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the project was a follow-up of the SGF 1997 project "Inventory of Armenian Ramsar Sites", with a focus on the Lake Sevan Ramsar Site. During the SGF97 project, the threats and values of Armenia’s main wetlands were assessed, and based on these findings, six draft management plans were elaborated for wetlands in Sevan National Park. Read a bit more detail here. [18/08/01]

Announcement. Wetlands for the Future / Fondo de Humedales para el Futuro -- Call for project proposals. The Ramsar Convention Bureau invites the Convention's Contracting Parties and other organizations from the Neotropical Region and Mexico to present proposals for the second cycle of 2001 Wetlands for the Future Fund (WFF). The deadline for proposal presentation is November 30 of 2001. The bureau offers advisory service to those who present project proposals before October 31st.

WFF supports training and capacity building projects for wetland wise use and conservation. For more details please see the operational guidelines at http://ramsar.org/key_wff_guide_e.htm. The WFF is made possible thanks to a generous donation by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [18/08/01]

Brief report. TESEO study under way. The European Space Agency held a meeting on 8 August in Frascati, Rome, to kick off the ESA TESEO (Treaty Enforcement Services using Earth Observation) study that will seek to develop remote sensing support for the implementation of four intergovernmental environmental agreements (Ramsar, UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, and MARPOL 73/78), in particular to develop remote-sensing tools for assessment and monitoring of wetlands, carbon, desertification, and marine pollution. (An announcement of the EAS TESEO programme and call for tenders, posted here in April 2001, provides more detail.) Nick Davidson, Ramsar Deputy Secretary General, reports that the project holds great promise for eventually providing the Parties with useful tools and techniques. He will report here soon on the project that has been chosen for implementation and suggest ways in which the Ramsar Parties might be able to assist. [12/08/01]

Albania joins AEWA. News has arrived today that Albania has deposited its instruments of accession to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) as its 33rd Party. Ramsar and the AEWA secretariat collaborate extraordinarily closely on a number of issues, and this is very welcome news. Further information can be sought from the Executive Secretary of AEWA, Bert Lenten, in Bonn (aewa@unep.de). [08/08/01]

News note. Ted Hollis scholarship for former Ramsar intern. Ms Musonda Mumba of Zambia (right), a Ramsar intern and Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Africa in 1998-1999 and presently Freshwater Programme Officer with WWF International in Switzerland, has been awarded the prestigious Ted Hollis Scholarship in Wetland Hydrology & Conservation in the the Department of Geography, University College London, where she will be supported for three years in a programme leading to the doctorate under the guidance of Dr Julian Thompson. She begins her studies in late September 2001. The scholarship was created in honor of Dr Ted Hollis (left), a well-known pioneer in research on the hydrology, management and conservation of wetland ecosystems, who died very prematurely in 1996 (more details on the scholarship here). [08/08/01]

6th international Living Lakes conference. From 30 July to 3 August, the 6th international conference on "Living Lakes" took place in the capital Ulan-Ude of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation. Two days were devoted to oral and poster presentations on the themes "water quality and traditions in lake areas". Ramsar's Regional Coordinator for Europe presented the Convention on Wetlands and its tools for wise use and conservation, as more than 100 participants, from over 20 countries, gathered in the parliamentary hall of the Buryatian capital. Here is a brief report on the event. [07/08/01]

Call for applications for Ramsar Intern for Europe. The Ramsar Bureau welcomes applications for the position of Intern for the European Region / Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Europe, a 14-month posting (with possible extension to 18 months) to begin 22 October 2001. With an age limit for applicants of 30 years old, the post offers an opportunity for young graduates to become acquainted with the workings of an intergovernmental treaty dealing with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Candidates for this internship should be nationals of countries in Europe and have lived most of their lives in the region. Full ability to work in English is required for this post, while fluency in Spanish and/or French would be a clear asset. Candidates should view the General Terms of Reference for Ramsar internships (also available from the Bureau), which includes conditions of service and salary structure, and send a detailed curriculum vitae with a covering letter, both in English, with two letters of reference, to the Bureau’s Administration Coordinator, Mrs Annette Keller, keller@ramsar.org. The deadline for applications is 31 August 2001. [27/07/01]

Ramsar signs MOC with Ducks Unlimited. At a ceremony on Saturday 21st July at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, Mr Delmar Blasco, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, Mr D.A. (Don) Young, Executive Vice-President of Ducks Unlimited USA, Mr Rod Fowler, Executive Vice-President of Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Sr Eduardo Carrera, Director General of Ducks Unlimited México, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to strengthen the working relationship between the Ramsar Convention and the three sister organizations of Ducks Unlimited.

With over one million supporters, Ducks Unlimited (DU) is a leading NGO in the conservation of wetlands and their waterbirds in North America. Following the new MOC, DU will use its extensive networks of partners, representatives, Associate Organizations and experts to further the work of the Convention in the region, and both Ramsar and DU will explore the scope for specific initiatives of further cooperation such as exchanges of staff, joint projects and publications. Here's the text of the MOC and a press release from Ducks Unlimited. [24/07/01]

Call for nominations for the Wetland Conservation Award. The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award was established in 1996 by Resolution VI.18  in order to recognize and honor the contributions of individuals, organizations, and governments around the world towards promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It was awarded for the first time at the 7^th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (San José, Costa Rica, 1999) (1999 winners' profiles, ceremony photos). The Ramsar Standing Committee, in October 2000, revised the criteria and procedures for adjudicating the Award and determined to select three winners for presentation at the 8^th Conference of the Parties, to be held in Valencia, Spain, from 18-26 November 2002. The Committee gratefully accepted the offer of the Danone Group (France) to complement the Ramsar Award with the Evian Special Prize, a cash prize of US$ 10.000, which will be granted to each of the three laureates who will receive the Award at COP8.

Nominations are encouraged of persons, organizations, or government agencies that have taken initiatives which have contributed significantly to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of a wetland site or group of wetlands, especially those initiatives which might serve as inspirational or practical examples for others. Look here for a reprint of the explanatory brochure and forms for nomination in English, French, and Spanish and in a variety of formats. [15/07/01]

Ramsar Newsletter 32 is now on the stands. To those many librarians round the world who have inquired whether they've been dropped from the subscription list of the quarterly Ramsar Newsletter, since they haven't received a single quarterly issue since Newsletter 31 a year ago, we can report "it's okay now" and you can begin updating your records. Newsletter 32, after many adventures, is now being posted to its 5000 subscribers from the Bureau, in English, French, and Spanish versions. With lead stories on the cultural heritage of wetlands and 16 pages of news of recent Contracting Parties and new Ramsar sites, as well as brief background items on recent important meetings, Ramsar Advisory Missions, and cooperative agreements with other environmental instruments, Newsletter 32 lends tangible weight, body, and archival librariness to the news that all readers of the Ramsar Web site having been enjoying, usually in somewhat greater detail and with better photos, over the past 1.42% of our lifespans (using Dante's estimate of 70 years).

Physical copies of Ramsar Newsletter 32 can be got from the Ramsar Bureau in English, French, and/or Spanish, and free-of-charge subscriptions to future issues can be arranged the same way -- hopefully the next quarterly issue will be ready before July 2002. Adobe Acrobat PDF versions are available on this Web site in English, French, and Spanish, about 400kb filesize. [15/07/01]

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. Updated regularly by Dwight Peck, Ramsar Bureau.