High Andes wetland meeting set for Argentina, February 2005

First announcement

HIGH ANDEAN WETLAND SYMPOSIUM
Salta, Argentina, 14 to 18 February 2005

High Andean wetlands in the Altiplano of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru are an oasis of biodiversity amidst a high altitude desert landscape.

The High Andean Flamingoes Conservation Group (http://www.flamencosandinos.org/) has been working for the past eight years for the conservation of the three flamingo species inhabiting the Andes. The conservation of high Andean wetlands requires transboundary cooperation and common training, research and monitoring programmes. The High Andean Wetland Symposium will provide an exchange opportunity for scientists and wetland managers, as well as for agreeing the final draft of the High Andean Wetland Strategy, which was discussed in March this year in Ecuador, following Ramsar's Resolution VIII.39 on High Andean Wetlands. The Symposium is sponsored by the Danone-Evian Foundation through funds administered by the Ramsar Convention.

Topics to be covered:
1. Water in High Andean Wetlands.
2. Flamingoes and other indicator, umbrella or emblematic species.
3. Spatial and temporal scales for conservation of High Andean Wetlands.
4. Conservation tools for High Andean Wetlands.
5. Ecotourism as a sustainable activity in High Andean Wetlands.
6. Strategic planning: public-private agreemnts, community participation, management plans, restoration.

Abstracts relative to the topics are welcome until 15 October 2004.

The working language of the conference will be Spanish.
More information, in Spanish, with application forms, can be found here.