News from the CEPA e-mail list

An update on an innovative wetland management training programme (06/03/08)

Hello Everyone:

In June 2006 I reported on an innovative wetland management training programme in Australia. Funded by the Australian government, the Wetland Management Solutions partnership involved a consortium of three wetland centres, wetland training experts, as well as WWF Australia, Wetlands International – Oceania, and Wetland Care Australia. Two years later, what has been achieved?

According to Bill Phillips, one of the training experts, “Two years on, this program has completed 14 two-day courses on a range of topics with nearly 230 wetland practitioners participating to date.

The program, now known by the name Wetlands.edu, has developed 17 training courses (modules), several of which draw heavily on guidance developed under the Ramsar Convention (in areas such as CEPA, management planning etc). Courses include the following: wetland ecology – fundamentals needed for site management; wetland watering – understanding wetland hydrological needs; inventory and assessment; classification and prioritization; how to design and implement a wetland monitoring program; multi-stakeholder management planning; communicating the values of wetlands; incentive mechanisms for wetland management; managing wetlands for multiple (wise)-use outcomes; ecological risk assessment in wetland management; wetland restoration and rehabilitation.”

Wetlands.edu is actively looking for opportunities to share ideas with other similar programmes and to offer its training services to any interested parties. It is well worth spending some time on their web site – http://www.wetlandsedu.org.au/ – where there are useful links to their training needs assessment, their Strategic and Business Plan for 2005-2008, and more information on the 17 training modules that have been developed. For further information, visit their web site and/or contact Dr Bill Phillips on coordinator@wetlandsedu.org.au.

With best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat

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