The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 9 April 2010

The 'Ramsar movie' was shown at the 4th wildlife photography exhibition in Val de Saône, France, on 13 March. Read more [09/04/10]

New impetus for the protection of the Wadden Sea. On 17-18 March 2010, the 11th Trilateral Governmental Conference was hosted by Germany at Westerland on the Wadden Sea island of Sylt, next to the Danish border, attended by over 130 participants, including the national Ramsar authorities and the Secretariat of the Convention.

The partners adopted a management plan for the entire Wadden Sea region to support decisive action against a number of invasive alien species and in response to major challenges resulting from the effects of climate change in the coastal area (sea level rise, shore line protection, etc.). Read more [07/04/10]

Vacancy for Partnership Coordinator at the Ramsar Secretariat. The Ramsar Secretariat welcomes applications for the position of Partnership Coordinator. Requirements for the post and online application are to be found on the IUCN website at:

http://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=171

Please take note that a candidate must submit his/her application online using the link above. No other method of application will be considered. [06/04/10]

On 16-17 February 2010, a first meeting of the “BlackSeaWet Initiative” management body was convened in Tulcea, at the edge of the Danube Delta Ramsar site. About twenty participants from the Black Sea countries successfully finalized and adopted terms of reference for their Initiative, clarifying its mission, vision, strategic targets and operational objectives. Read more [06/04/10]

The Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds urges for systematic H5N1 monitoring. The task force, a collaborative partnership involving 15 international organizations including the Scientific and Technical Review Panel of the Ramsar Convention (STRP), held a review meeting in Rome, 23 March 2010. The team of experts stressed the role played by birds in the spread of H5N1 avian influenza virus. Read more. [06/04/10]

 Who's Where?


Tobias Salathé is, together with Ramsar expert David Pritchard, on a Ramsar Advisory Mission (N°64) to Aakersvika RS in Norway on 8 and 9 April. [07/04/10]

Tobias Salathé, Senior Advisor for Europe and Nadia Alexeeva, Assistant Advisor for Europe, are in Brekstad, Ørland Municipality, Norway, 12-16 April, to attend the 2nd Nordic-Baltic Wetlands Conference “The role of protection and wise use of wetlands in securing biodiversity and ecosystem services” arranged as a part of the Nordic-Baltic Wetlands Initiative (NorBalWet). [07/04/10]

Deputy Secretary General Nick Davidson is in Helsinki, Finland, 8-9 April, to speak on Ramsar’s experiences of developing collaborative implementation between multi-lateral agreements, at a “Synergies in the Biodiversity Cluster” symposium organized by the Ministry of Environment of Finland. [06/04/10]

Lew Young, Senior Advisor for Asia and Oceania, is visiting the Poyang Lake Ramsar site in China with a team from IUCN and WWF during the period 12-16 April. The team will also be meeting with government officials and local experts to provide examples of dam construction projects where adverse impacts to the environment have been minimized through careful planning, design and management, so that these case studies can be used as examples for the proposed dam that may be built across the mouth of the lake. [07/04/10]

Yesterday's News

The government of Panama has designated its 5th Wetland of International Importance in the province of Ngöble Buglé: Humedal de Importancia Internacional Damani-Guariviara. The Damani-Guariviara wetland lies within the Neotropical-Caribbean biogeographical region and includes coastal and inland wetlands such as beaches, marshes, salty and freshwater lagoons, rivers and mangroves. Read more [30/03/10] > Español > français.

First Cities and Biodiversity newsletter. The first issue of the Cities and Biodiversity Newsletter is now available. The next issue will be distributed in October 2010, at the occasion of the City Biodiversity Summit 2010.

The first issue includes a story about a workshop organized by the Ramsar Secretariat and UN-Habitat on 'Urban Development, Biodiversity and Wetlands Management'. The workshop took place last November in Naivasha, Kenya. You can find an electronic version here. [26/03/10]

Launch of two publications to mark World Water Day 2010. To commemorate World Water Day 2010 and highlight the need for clean water, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and other partners released Water, Wetlands and Forests: A Review of Ecological, Economic and Policy Linkages. Read more [22/03/10]

Statement by Anada Tiéga, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on the occasion of World Water Day. Read more. [22/03/10]

Brazil names important marine park. The Secretariat is delighted to announce that Brazil has designated its 11th Wetland of International Importance, effective World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2010. Abrolhos Marine National Park (91,300 hectares,17º49’S 038º49’W) is divided into two distinct areas: a) Timbebas reefs and b) Abrolhos Archipelago and Parcel dos Abrolhos. They include a mosaic of marine and coastal environments such as coral reefs, algae bottoms, mangroves, beaches and sandbanks. Read more. [18/03/10] > Español > français.

Launch of the final report of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project (SCWP). Sara Gavney Moore of the International Crane Foundation reports that the document, Safe Flyways for the Siberian Crane: A flyway approach conserves some of Asia’s most beautiful wetlands and waterbirds, details the achievements and challenges of the SCWP, a six-year project targeting a network of 16 wetland sites along the flyways of the critically endangered Siberian Crane in China, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia. Through the support of the SCWP, several of the project sites were designated Ramsar sites, including all four project sites in Kazakhstan. More information. [18/03/10]

Mangrove Ecosystems workshop in Solomon Islands. Vai Jungblut, Ramsar Officer - Oceania Region, represented the Convention at a pre-inception workshop for the Mangrove Ecosystems for Climate Change and Livelihood (MESCAL) project led by IUCN Oceania, 10 to 12 February 2010, Solomon Islands. Here's his brief report. [18/03/10]

New set of fact sheets on Wetland Ecosystem Services now available online. Many years ago the Ramsar Secretariat produced fact sheets on the Functions and Values of wetlands. These proved to be very popular so the Secretariat has now re-produced them with updated information and using the currently recognised term ‘ecosystem services’ – the benefits people obtain from wetland ecosystems. Read more. [11/03/10]. > Français  > Español

Implementation of the Ramsar Convention in Japan. The Senior Regional Advisor for Asia/Oceania, Lew Young, undertook a mission to Japan from 12-20 February 2010 to attend various meetings and to update the Secretariat on the implementation of the Convention by both the government of Japan (GOJ) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the country. Read more. [11/03/10] 

Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia Liaison Officer reports on the success of the 3rd Youth Model Ramsar Convention, Republic of Korea, 26-27 February. The third Youth Model Ramsar Convention (YMRC) was successfully completed by Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA) and student secretariat members on 26 – 27 February. Read more. [11/03/10]

Feedback and suggestions are welcome to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ).