The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 1 November 2001

1 November 2001

Headline story. Uzbekistan joins the Ramsar Convention. The Bureau is delighted to announce that on 8 October 2001 the Director-General of UNESCO received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan its instrument of accession to the Convention on Wetlands, as amended by the Protocol of 1982 and the Amendments of 1987. Uzbekistan is welcomed as the Convention’s 130^th Contracting Party, and the Convention in accordance with Article 10.2 will enter into force for Uzbekistan on 8 February 2002. The new Party has named Lake Dengizkul as its first Wetland of International Importance; more information about this new site will be forthcoming in due course. [01/11/01]

Headline story. Ramsar addresses UNFCCC's SBSTA15. On 30 October, at the 15th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's subsidiary scientific body, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), in Marrakesh, Morocco, Mr Spyros Kouvelis, Ramsar's MedWet Coordinator based in Athens, Greece, addressed the meeting on recent progress in synergistic and parallel work of the two conventions and pointed out possibilities for fruitful cooperation in future. Here is the text of his address. Earth Negotiations Bulletin indicates that "in the ensuing discussion, Parties stressed enhancing cooperation between conventions, strengthening such cooperation at the national level, and furthering the international environmental governance process. Chair Dovland indicated that an informal contact group would be convened to develop draft conclusions." [01/11/01]

Headline story. Tropical peatlands in the news. The importance of peatlands to national economies and the environment was highlighted 22-23 August 2001 at the International Symposium on Tropical Peatlands, entitled "Peatlands for People", which was attended by over 200 peatland scientists and managers from Indonesia and 10 other nations. During the meetings, the participants agreed the Jakarta Statement on the Importance of Tropical Peatlands, which is reprinted here. In another development, David Lee of the Global Environment Centre in Selangor, Malaysia, reports on the creation of SEA-PEAT, the Southeast Asia Peatland Action Plan and Management Initiative, which is being developed as a regional contribution to the Global Action Plan for Peatlands, which is presently working its way through the Ramsar STRP process towards COP8. [31/10/01]

Who's where? 

Margarita Astrálaga, Regional Coordinator for the Americas, is in Brazil for the UN Regional PrepCom meeting in Rio de Janeiro, 23-24 October, and will then lead a Ramsar Advisory Mission to the Llancalelo Ramsar site in Argentina, with participation by invited experts Terry Boyle and John Agard as well as relevant authorities of the Government of Argentina. [22/10/01]

Tobias Salathé, Regional Coordinator for Europe, is en route for a Ramsar Advisory Mission to the Ouse Washes in the United Kingdom, 4-9 November 2001, and a meeting of the UK Ramsar Committee. [01/11/01]

New on the Site: Ramsar address to UNFCCC's SBSTA15, Marrakesh, 30 October; Report of the Ramsar South American subregional meeting, Buenos Aires, 10-12 September 2001 (Spanish only); Report (versions in English and Español) of the Ramsar subregional meeting for Central America, the Caribbean, and North America, 26-28 September, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Report of the East Asian subregional meeting, Bangkok, 1-3 October. [31/10/01]

Ramsar sub-regional meeting for South America - report available. Some 55 representatives of Ramsar Contracting Parties, intergovernmental institutions, and non-governmental organizations gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10-12 September 2001, for a Ramsar subregional meeting in preparation for the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties. The meeting was hosted and financially supported by Argentina’s Secretariat for Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy. One important decision of the meeting was to prepare a South American Strategy for the Implementation of the Ramsar Convention, which should be finalized for presentation by Argentina at the forthcoming meeting of the Standing Committee in December 2001. The conference report is available here (in Spanish only).

Unos 55 representantes de los países signatarios de la Convención Ramsar, organizaciones intergubernamentales y organizaciones no-gubernamentales se reunieron en Buenos Aires, Argentina, del 10 al 12 de septiembre, para discutir los asuntos de la sub-región en preparación para la Octava Conferencia de la Partes de Ramsar. La Secretaría de Desarrollo Sustentable y Política Ambiental de la República Argentina fue el anfitrión y patrocinador de la reunión. Una importante decisión del encuentro fue que se prepare una Estrategia Sudamericana para la Aplicación de la Convención de Ramsar, la que sería presentada por la Argentina al Comité Permanente de la Convención en su reunión del mes de diciembre de 2001. El informe final del evento esta disponible. [31/10/01]

Portugal names two new Ramsar sites. The Ramsar Bureau is very pleased to announce that Portugal has designated two new Wetlands of International Importance, effective 24 October 2001. Paúl de Tornada (Tornada Marsh) (50 hectares, 39°27’N 009°03’W) is a small freshwater permanently flooded marsh in a small alluvial plain, with extensive reed beds and numerous areas of open water, surrounded by agricultural and forest land. It fulfils the representativeness Criterion 1 and also supports a considerable diversity of species, particularly of migratory birds, as well as some threatened fish, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. The site is presently located on private property that is rented to the environmental organizations GEOTA and PATO, with national and local government support, and a visitors’ centre and observatory are in place. Paúl do Taipal (Taipal Marsh) (233 ha, 40°11’N 008°41’W), an EU Birds Directive Special Protection Area, is a freshwater permanently flooded marsh in a small alluvial plain in the Mondego river valley, with extensive reed beds and some open water. The wetland is surrounded by agricultural land, with rice fields downstream. It has great bird diversity and habitats of major importance for migratory birds for wintering (including more than 1% of the Mediterranean population of Anas clypeata) and resting areas (for example, transaharan passerines and palearctic birds). It also supports a significant portion of the indigenous fish species Rutilus macrolepidotus, Barbus bacogei, and Cobitis maroccana in all life-cycle stages. The area is very important for local regulation of the underground water table and may also act as a buffer zone, contributing to increased protection of adjoining farmlands against erosion by winter floods. The marsh is publicly owned and managed, with educational activities and traditional fishing practiced within the site; conventional corn and rice cultivation takes place on private lands roundabout.

Portugal now has 12 Ramsar sites, totaling 66,096 hectares, bringing the Convention’s global total to 1106 sites covering 87,231,079 hectares (872,311 square km). [30/10/01]

Preparations for World Wetlands Day 2002 may now commence in earnest. The Ramsar Bureau, in its beneficence, has mailed out to all 5000 subscribers to the Ramsar Newsletter a sizable quantity of new World Wetlands Day materials to assist the efforts of government authorities, NGOs, and concerned citizens to raise the awareness of wetland values and the Ramsar Convention amongst their compatriots. The suggested theme of this 2 February 2002 World Wetlands Day, echoing the theme of the 8th meeting of the upcoming Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention, Valencia, Spain, November 2002, is "Wetlands: water, life, and culture", and the materials on offer to embellish and enliven World Wetlands Day hover all over the topic of  The Cultural Heritage of Wetlands -- including an information pack, posters, calendars, stickers, e-cards, screensavers -- and you can obtain this stuff just by promising to promote the sustainable use of wetlands in all your goings and comings wherever you may be. What a deal! View the Bureau's contributions to your still-evolving plans for World Wetlands Day, write off to Valerie Higgins for whatever you may require, and then get back to the earnest and sometimes thankless business of informing your fellow citizens of the essential values and functions of wetlands all over the world. Here is the suite of materials on offer. [26/10/01]

An update on the "Great Photo Chase". Dr Bill Phillips, who is managing the production of the Ramsar wetlands photo book (about which more detail here), writes: "Wow – what a response!!! Thank you to all the people who have responded so enthusiastically and positively to the launch of the "Great Photo Chase" for the production of Ramsar’s Wetlands book. Below I’ve listed the 40 countries from which I’ve so far received some photos – this is not to say, however, that we are not keen to see more from these same countries. And, of course, the priority remains to get some spectacular photos from those countries which don’t appear in the list below. For Ramsar Administrative Authorities, NGOs and photographic enthusiasts in these countries, please help – we need your photos to make this a truly global publication which can highlight the many types of wetlands around the world, and most importantly the range of ways inwhich they are wisely wisely. Remember please, send us jpegs (or similar small file size) to view first and, then if your image is chosen, we will contact you to arrange for sending the original.

Countries for which photos have so far been received – Armenia, Australia, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China (PR of), Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivore, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela." [24/10/01]

Reminder. Nominations for the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for 2002 are due by 31 December 2001. More detail is available here.

Mangrove Action Project has children's art calendar on offer. As part of its fundraising efforts, the Mangrove Action Project have put together an attractive calendar featuring children's art work from around the world. Here is a description of the project by MAP's executive director, Alfredo Quarto. [23/10/01]

'Declaration of the Central American People and Wetlands', belatedly. At Ramsar's 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in San José, Costa Rica, in May 1999, representatives of Central American peoples met and created a Declaration of recommendations to the COP concerning community participation in the sustainable development of wetlands in the region. Now, however, as the Bureau prepares to announce the imminent publication of our new information pack on the cultural heritage of wetlands, which draws upon the aforesaid Declaration -- and as we prepare to unveil JPG versions of the enormous painting that was created on-site during the COP by artists from the Solentiname region of Nicaragua, and which was presented to the COP concurrently with the Declaration, and which now hangs in the Secretary General's office -- belated notice has been taken that the Declaration itself was never published with the COP proceedings . . . {a small oversight, perhaps, no names mentioned} . . . so here it is, in English and in Spanish, reprinted from Humedales de Mesoamerica: Sitios Ramsar de Centroamérica y México / Mesoamerican Wetlands: Ramsar Sites in Central American and Mexico, published 1999 by the IUCN-Mesoamerica Wetlands and Coastal Zones Program with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) and the IUCN Wetlands Programme, pages 36-37. [22/10/01]

Ramsar subregional meeting for Central America, the Caribbean, and North America - report available. Some 60 representatives of Ramsar Contracting Parties and observer states in the subregion, intergovernmental institutions, and non-governmental organizations gathered in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, 26-28 September 2001, for a Ramsar subregional meeting in preparation for the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Environment of Honduras and financially supported by the Ministry of Environment of Canada, Swedish Sida, and the Department of State of the United States. The conference report is available here in English and Spanish. [19/10/01]

Ramsar East Asian meeting reported. Regional Coordinator Najam Khurshid reports that "the Government of Thailand hosted the East Asian Subregional Meeting from 1-3 October 2001 in Bangkok, one of a series of regional and subregional meetings around the world to assist in preparations for the next meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP8). More than 70 people attended, including representatives of 8 Contracting Parties, 2 observer states, environment-related organizations of the United Nations, the Convention on Migratory Species, international, regional and local non-governmental organizations, and development assistance agencies. Each Contracting Party provided an update on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention within its territory and highlighted some constraints they faced in the process. The Parties expressed their concerns about the National Report Format and provided belated suggestions for its improvement. Lively discussion unfolded on the draft Strategic Plan 2003-2008 and about how to approach issues involving the cultural heritage of wetlands. Reporting and compliance issues received particularly thorough scrutiny, and these portions of the report (paragraphs 79-87) merit special attention. The Bureau received excellent feedback from the participants on its performance and on the agenda of the next COP, including the technical sessions. This meeting also provided an opportunity for the participants to exchange their ideas and experiences. Presentation of other Conventions, international NGOs, and development assistance agencies provided an additional benefit for all the CPs and non-CPs to discuss their projects and areas of support with them directly." Financial support for the meeting was generously provided by the Government of Japan and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).  The formal report of the meeting, with the list of participants, is available here. [18/10/01]

Reminder. SWS Ramsar grants deadline looms. Eric Gilman reminds us that the deadline for project proposals for the Society of Wetland Scientists Ramsar grants is 1 November, so now's the time to turn off the TV and start writing out those long-contemplated proposals without delay, except for bathroom breaks and a few peeks into the fridge. Here is his original announcement of the grants' terms of reference. [18/10/01]

Ramsar seeks photos for book of wetland scenes. Dr Bill Phillips, formerly the Convention's Deputy Secretary General and now Director of MainStream Environmental Consulting in Australia, is heading up a Ramsar project, with financial support from the Governments of Spain and Switzerland, to produce a ca.150-page collection of excellent photographs, with at least one from each Contracting Party to the Convention, that demonstrate the full range of wetland types, functions, and values. Intended mainly as an informative gift for high-level decision-makers in government and the private sector, the book will be accompanied by a screensaver on CD-ROM. Here is Bill's announcement, including information on how amateur photographers around the world can help achieve this worthy goal. The deadline for submission of JPGs for short-listing for the final selection is 15 November 2001. [15/10/01]

Announcement. The Ramsar European regional meeting begins. Delmar Blasco, Nick Davidson, Tobias Salathé, Inga Racinska, and Carlos Villalba from the Bureau are in Bled, Slovenia, for the European Ramsar Regional Meeting, 13-18 October, 2001. The agenda papers, presentations, and abstracts for the meeting are available here for download in Word format. [14/10/01]

Ramsar stresses cooperation with Desertification Convention. During the 5th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, 1-12 October 2001, Ramsar's Anada Tiéga addressed the COP and took the opportunity to highlight the many areas of fruitful cooperation presently under way between the two conventions and pledged Ramsar's further collaboration in a number of key issues of common concern. Read his brief speech right here. [11/10/01]

Announcement to the Ramsar Forum. Call for data for the Asian Waterbird Census 1997-2001 report. David Li of Wetlands International - Asia Pacific describes the present status of the Asian Waterbird Census and calls for input. Read his message to the Ramsar Forum here. [11/10/01)

WWT wins BA Tourism for Tomorrow Award. The Wetland Centre, located in the heart of London, has won the prestigious Global Award in the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards for 2001. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which developed and manages the Wetland Centre, was founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1946. Converted from four disused reservoirs, the 40-hectare Wetland Centre was opened to the public in May 2000 -- the mosaic of lakes, ponds and marshes with boardwalks, hides, state-of-the-art observatory, cinema and discovery centre, attracts many thousands of visitors each year including overseas visitors, UK tourists, local school children as well as the surrounding community. Doug Hulyer, who was instrumental in the development of the Wetland Centre in London, is the Ramsar CEPA NGO Focal Point for the UK. In addition, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and one if its programmes, Wetland Link International, are key players in one area of the implementation of the Convention's Outreach Programme. Here's a bit more detail from Ramsar's Sandra Hails. [09/10/01]

Wetlands International - Oceania has a new Manager. Wetlands International reports: "On 1 October 2001, Doug Watkins was appointed Manager of Wetlands International - Oceania. Doug will continue to be based at our Canberra office that is hosted by Environment Australia, and he will continue to oversee implementation of the Shorebird Action Plan, a cornerstone project of Wetlands International which will be funded by Environment Australia through 2001-2. Doug has been with Wetlands International since 1995 and has been asociated with shorebirds and wetlands work for more than 20 years. Added to this technical expertise is his enthusiasm for building cooperative networks and his commitment to securing conservation outcomes. Doug will bring new ideas and energy to the management of Wetlands International's operations in Australia and the Pacific Islands region, which now includes program or project offices in Canberra, Brisbane, Suva (Fiji) and Madang (PNG). Doug will lead the organisation at a time of substantial growth in our core programs on shorebird conservation, wetland inventory, biodiversity surveys and marine conservation. Roger Jaensch will be working for Wetlands International as Senior Program Officer responsible for wetland inventory and waterbird surveys especially in inland and northern Australia. This will occur through collaboration with Federal and State government agencies and with the scientific and NGO community." [08/10/01]

Vacancy announcement. Wetlands International seeks three Junior Experts. Vacancies: Wetlands International - Junior Expert Programme. Wetlands International has a core staff of approximately 100 people in 16 offices worldwide and cooperates with an active global network of wetland specialists who gather and analyze technical information. Wetlands International's network of wetland specialists includes, not only its staff, but also national representatives from 55 countries, scientists and experts in over 20 wetland and waterbird specialist groups and many other organizations who collaborate on projects. Wetlands International is governed by a global Board of Directors, which is overseen by an International Board of Members of over 150 individuals. The Board of Members is composed of representatives of the National Governments, Donor Organizations, Specialist Group Coordinators, Partner Organizations and members-at-large. Wetlands International is now seeking qualified candidates for three Junior Expert positions funded by the Government of the Netherlands, to be based in Wageningen, The Netherlands; Dakar, Senegal; and New Delhi, India. [08/10/01]

Lake biodiversity report available on-line. Laurie Duker, Conservation Director for LakeNet, based in Annapolis, USA (laurieduker@monitorinternational.org) notified the Ramsar Forum that: "The second report in a series published by the LakeNet Secretariat is now available. Biodiversity conservation of the world's lakes: A preliminary framework for identifying priorities [based upon data from UNEP, WCMC, and Ramsar] identifies 250 lakes in 73 countries as initial priorities for biodiversity conservation. Although available data are limited, these lakes support globally significant fish, mollusc, crab, shrimp or bird biodiversity or they are representative examples of particularly rare types of lakes. Most of the identified lakes do not have comprehensive lake watershed management plans in place. The study includes biological diversity and limnological information on each priority lake, and water scarcity and institutional measures (such as accountability) by country. The report is available as a PDF document at: http://www.worldlakes.org/Biodiversity.htm. Feedback on the issue of biodiversity and world lakes will be incorporated into the ongoing "World Lakes Dialogue", so feel free to share your thoughts or feedback at http://www.worldlakes.org/feedback.htm." [05/10/01]

Announcement. New book on Louisiana's coastal wetlands. Dr Bill Streever, presently Environmental Studies Leader with BP Exploration (Alaska) in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, and until recently with the Waterways Experiment Station of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA, is an active and very helpful observer/participant in the Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) representing the Society of Wetland Scientists. The University Press of Mississippi has just published Bill's new book on the efforts to save the coastal wetlands of the state of Louisiana in the USA, and here is the publisher's press release. [03/10/01]

Sanbanze landfill cancelled. Following his visit to Sanbanze mudflats on Tokyo Bay, 2 September, Secretary General Delmar Blasco met with the Governor of Chiba Prefecture, Ms Akiko Domoto, and discussed the situation there. Now Maggie Suzuki of Japan Wetlands Action Network reports: "On September 26th, Governor Domoto of Chiba prefecture announced in the Chiba Prefectural Assembly that the remaining 101 hectares of landfill planned at Sanbanze tidal flat in Tokyo Bay were cancelled. Governor Domoto had promised to 'clean slate' landfill development at Sanbanze when she was elected Governor in April this year, but this announcement finally constituted the actual cancellation of two projects, one in Ichikawa and one in Funabashi, scaled down in 1999 from over 700 ha. of landfill. The announcement comes in the wake of a 'symposium' held by the Prefecture and attended by Gov. Domoto late last month, in which most of the twenty citizens invited to give an opinion opposed the remaining landfill projects. Delmar Blasco, Secretary-General of the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, visited the site on Sept. 2nd, and the Japan Wetlands Action Network held its annual International Wetland Symposium in Ichikawa on Sept. 15-16. Local citizens' groups and non-governmental organizations are celebrating, after a battle to save this remnant natural tidal environment for 30 years. We extend our appreciation to all of you who have lent your cooperation and support over the years. Thank you! Most cordially, Maggie Suzuki, Japan Wetlands Action Network, International Liaison, BYG05310@nifty.ne.jp". [27/09/01]  

Announcement. Ramsar Bureau seeks Intern for the Americas. The Ramsar Bureau is seeking applications for the position of Intern/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for the Americas. For this internship the applicants must be nationals of countries from the Americas. The position requires full ability to work in English and a mother-tongue-level of Spanish. Qualified candidates from that region are encouraged to read the general terms of reference for Ramsar Internships and apply by 31 October 2001, to begin on 1 February 2002. Annette Keller, Ramsar. [27/09/01]

Ramsar Advisory Mission to Mühlenberger Loch Ramsar site, Germany. On 23 January 2001 the Federal Republic of Germany informed the Ramsar Bureau of its wish to restrict the boundary of the Mühlenberger Loch Ramsar site, an extensive area of tidal mudflats on the Elbe River near Hamburg, in accordance with Article 2.5 of the Convention, and proposed compensatory measures as indicated in Article 4.2. In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, the Ramsar Bureau is visiting the area 24-26 September in order, briefly put, to examine the manner in which the “urgent national interest” clause in Article 2.5 was invoked and study the compensation measures proposed. Accompanying Ramsar’s Dr Tobias Salathé on this 45^th Ramsar Advisory Mission are an international legal expert, David Pritchard of BirdLife International, and an expert on mudflats ecology, Dr Mike Pienkowski, in addition to Dr Fritz Dieterich from the Federal Ministry, officials of the Hamburg Environment Authority, and representatives of the NABU/BUND NGO. The mission's terms of reference are available here, and the resulting report will be available in due course. [26/09/01]

New Ramsar Intern for Europe appointed. The Bureau is pleased to announce that Mr Sergey Dereliev of Bulgaria has been selected as the next Intern for Europe/Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Europe, to begin as soon as Swiss working papers are cleared later in the northern autumn. He replaces Inga Raçinska (as if anyone could) of Latvia. Sergey has an MSc in Biology, with specialization in zoology of vertebrates and anthropology, from Sofia University, and speaks English, Russian, and Bulgarian. He presently works with the BirdLife International partner in Bulgaria, BSPB, and is serving as project manager for the UNDP/GEF project "Study of capacity building needs of Bulgarian biodiversity conservation organizations in the area of GIS" as part of the establishment of the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism in Bulgaria. He is involved in the management of several Ramsar sites along the Black Sea coast, cofinanced by the Swiss SDC. He is presently in The Netherlands serving as a mentor in the RIZA/WATC International Course in Wetland Managment, which draws to a close in early October. The Bureau welcomes Mr Dereliev and looks forward to greeting him in the secretariat. [25/09/01]

Announcement. Seminar set for Argentina, November. An international seminar on inland fisheries in Latin America, supported by the Universidad Nactional del Litoral, the Ramsar Convention's Wetlands for the Future, IUCN - Sudamérica, and the Coalición Ríos Vivos, will be held in Santa Fe, Argentina, 23-25 November. Here is the Spanish and English language announcement, with more details, from Fundación PROTEGER. [24/09/01]

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, e-mail ). Updated regularly by Dwight Peck, Ramsar Bureau.