The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 2 December 2004

Headline story. Secretary General pays visits to Lao PDR, Australia. In the course of his late November travels, which have included the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Thailand and a visit to a Ramsar/Evian project in Cambodia, the Secretary General, Peter Bridgewater, has also been able to stop in to discuss accession progress in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and to discuss scenarios of the Convention's future development with the members of Australia's Wetlands and Waterbirds Taskforce. Here are very brief illustrated reports on both of those events: Lao PDR, Australia. [02/12/04]

Headline story. Samoa joins the Ramsar Convention. The Secretariat is extremely pleased to announce that UNESCO, the treaty depositary, has received the instrument of accession from Samoa, and the Convention, as amended by the Paris Protocol (1982) and the Regina Amendments (1987), will enter into force for Samoa, as our 142nd Contracting Party, on 6 February 2005. The first Wetland of International Importance designated by Samoa is the "Lake Lanoto'o", the largest freshwater lake in the country amongst few remaining still in pristine natural form. It is located in the central highlands of the Island of Upolu and forms the core part of the watershed area for the township of Apia, the capital of Samoa. The site apparently comprises two other small lakes as well, rainforests of native hardwood tree species and secondary forests of shrubs and other vegetation, but Ramsar datasheets on the site have not yet been received, and more information will follow later. Ramsar's Assistant Advisor for Asia-Pacific, Ms Liazzat Rabbiosi, notes that the Secretariat would particularly like to acknowledge the support offered by Bill Phillips (Mainstream) and the WWF Global Freshwater Programme, whose assistance has been extremely helpful in moving the accession process forward. Mr Vainuupo Jungblut, the Ramsar Officer in the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) in Apia, adds: "A big Congratulations to Faumuina Pati LIU and his staff at the Samoa Division of Environment & Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment for their hard work and effort." Samoa joins Papua New Guinea, Palau, and (newly) the Marshall Islands (with Australia and New Zealand) in carrying the objectives of the Ramsar Convention forward in the Pacific Islands region. [01/12/04]

Vacancy announcement. IWMI seeks a Capacity Building Officer. Kamani Rajanayake, Personnel Officer, International Water Management Institute, writes: "We are pleased to share with you the attached position announcement for the post of Capacity Building Officer in the Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) based at the CPWF Secretariat, located at IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka or with one of the partner institutions of the CPWF. This is an international staff position and will be on two-year, fixed-term, renewable appointment. Applications with details of qualifications, experience, list of publications, and the names and addresses of three referees, should be submitted to the Human Resources office, IWMI, P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Email: work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org on or before 31 January 2005. For information about the CPWF visit http://www.waterforfood.org and for information about IWMI visit http://www.iwmi.org." Here is the position description in PDF format. [link later removed] [01/12/04]

Who's where?

Tobias Salathé, Senior Advisor for Europe, en route to the European regional meeting in Yerevan, has stopped off in Strasbourg, France, 30 November - 1 December 2004, for a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, which will be dealing with, among other matters, a number of issues affecting Ramsar sites in Europe. [30/11/04]

Lei Guangchun, Senior Advisor for Asia, is in Kushiro, Japan, 28 November to 3 December 2004, to participate in the UNITAR workshop for the Asia Pacific region on “Wetlands, Water and Biodiversity”, as a guest of UNITAR. [29/11/04]

Abou Bamba, Senior Advisor for Africa, and Ahmed El-Sabban, Assistant Advisor, are in Montpellier, France, 29 November to 4 December 2004, for the workshop "Préparation des dispositifs de formation des gestionnaires de zones humides de 5 pays d'Afrique francophone" hosted by ATEN (the Atelier Technique des Espaces Naturelles). [29/11/04]

Yesterday's News!

Ramsar's NGO partners re-affirm their hopes and commitments. The four most senior officers of Ramsar's International Organization Partners met on Friday in Bangkok, during the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress, to reiterate their support to the Ramsar Convention. During a brief meeting, Achim Steiner, Director General of IUCN - The World Conservation Union; Claude Martin, Director General of the World Wildlife Fund - WWF; Mike Rands, Director and Chief Executive of BirdLife International; and Jane Madgwick, Director General of Wetlands International, signed the new Memoranda of Understanding with Peter Bridgewater, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention. More here, with pix.[30/11/04]

New Intern for Europe chosen for Ramsar Secretariat. The Secretariat is pleased to announce that Dorothea August from Germany has been selected as the next Intern/Assistant Advisor for Europe, replacing Estelle Gironnet from France (well,that's a "hard act to follow"). Dorothea graduated as an Engineer in Land-use Planning, landscape conservation, nature protection and environmental development from the University of Hanover, Germany. Her dissertation subject was the conservation status of the European Mink, a species that is found in wetland habitats. Growing up in Eastern Germany, Dorothea was aware of wetland degradation in her home region, and this inspired her to strive for a career in the field of nature protection. The Ramsar Secretariat looks forward to welcoming Dorothea in February 2005 and laments with gnashing of teeth our Estelle's 'graduation' from the Bureau at about the same time. [30/11/04]

Tunisia plans 15 new Ramsar sites. Denis Landenbergue (WWF) reports that "the Tunisian Government has just officially announced its commitment to designate at least 15 new Ramsar Sites, covering a total area of over 750,000 hectares. The announcement was made as a result of a project supported by WWF's Global Freshwater Programme, and implemented in the framework of a close cooperation between WWF's Mediterreanean Programme Office and Tunis Project Office, the Direction Générale des Forêts of Tunisia, the Institut National Agronomique of University of Tunis, and non-governmental organisations including the Association des Amis des Oiseaux (AAO) - Birdlife National Partner in Tunisia. Mr. Mike Smart, former Ramsar Deputy Secretary General and a recognized specialist of Tunisia's wetlands, has also been providing valuable expertise and support to this commendable initiative of the Government of Tunisia. The official announcement was made by Mr. Amol El Abed, Tunisia's Secretary of State for Water Resources and Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources) as part of his Opening Speech for the eleventh Pan-African Ornithological Congress (PAOC XI) currently taking place in Djerba, Tunisia (21th-25th November 2004)." See also, http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater/news/news.cfm?uNewsID=16731. [30/11/04]

Sad news.Passing of Tom Kabii, WWF and former Ramsar colleague. The staff of the Ramsar Secretariat are deeply saddened by the news of the death of our friend and colleague Tom Kabii in a road accident in Kenya. Here is a brief message from Dr. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, Director, Africa and Madagascar Programme, WWF International. "Dear Friends and Colleagues, It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of my dear friend and colleague, Tom Kabii. Tom was driving himself yesterday, Sunday, to the Mara for the EARPO Policy workshop which was due to start this morning. . . . I have known Tom since 1996 when he worked for the Ramsar Secretariat. He was a most pleasant and caring person and we became good friends. He left Ramsar to go and do his PhD in Australia, and two years ago when he finished his PhD, I persuaded him to come and work for WWF in Kenya. He readily agreed, saying, 'nature conservation is where my heart is and to be able to do something for my own country is a most welcome opportunity'. Tom has lost his life while serving a cause he really believed in. The Africa and Madagascar Programme has lost a most committed, dedicated, enthusiastic and great advocate for conservation. May his soul rest in perfect peace." [29/11/04]

Now available. More on the Merida regional meeting, and pix. Following the first tangible results of Ramsar Panamerican regional meeting earlier this month, the draft "Merida Message" (see below), Iván Valencia has prepared a brief report and a slender list of photographs of some of the participants and the Red Mangroves of the recently designated Ramsar Site "Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Celestún".

Conference on transboundary Ramsar sites. Many Wetlands of International Importance are located in border zones of adjoining countries. Despite their obvious transboundary connectivity, these shared wetlands are often not perceived and treated as ecological and hydrological units. This poses major challenges to wetland conservation, not only in terms of habitat management, regional planning and decision making. In order to explore these issues, an international conference was held in mid-November 2004 in Illmitz, Austria, in the Austrian-Hungarian transboundary park and Ramsar site Neusiedl/Fertö, where some 50 participants from all over Europe gathered to bring further clarity to the emerging issue of transboundary Ramsar management - an ideal preparation for the workshop on "shared catchments and wetlands - increasing transboundary cooperation" to be held as part of the European Ramsar Meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, on 5 December 2004. Ramsar's Tobias Salathé reports on the conference and includes the official meeting summary and a number of interesting photographs of the venue and participants, right here. [27/11/04]

Austria names peatland areas in Styria. The Ramsar Secretariat is delighted to announce that Austria, just a few months after having designated a number of valuable mires in the Salzburg region, has named, as of 15 October 2004, a small collection of bogs, mires and fens in the Steiermark region in the southeast. The Moore am Nassköhr site (211 hectares, 47°43'N 15°33'E), already a Nature Reserve, comprises a number of mires that are all near-natural except for one bog, the Torfstichmoor, which had been used as a peat cut in the 19th century; the others, however, have been more or less affected by cattle grazing and trampling. In a joint project with the landowners, the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf-AG), the Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology of Vienna University (IECB), and WWF-Austria initiated a management plan financed by the ÖBf-AG in order to improve the conditions for the peatlands. This is an outstanding example of private nature conservation activities in Austria. In spring 2002 the ÖBf-AG built dams into all drainage channels and in autumn - after long-lasting negotiations with the farmers - they began building a fence to keep the cattle out from most of the mires. A brief description of the site, with some photos of both the site and the presentation of Ramsar site certificates by the Austrian Ramsar National Committee, can be seen here. [26/11/04]

Ramsar Asia meeting set for India, February 2005. The Ramsar Secretariat is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India has offered to host the Ramsar COP9 Preparatory Regional Meeting for Asia (including Western, Central, Southern and Eastern Asia) in Bhubaneswar, India, from 9 to 12 February 2005, which will follow immediately after the Asian Wetland Symposium 2005 (AWS). This meeting should provide opportunities for wider participation of governmental officials, NGOs, academia and civil society members in both AWS and the Ramsar Asian Regional Meeting. The Government of India has set a common organising committee for both events, and official invitations will be soon sent by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India. For further inquires on the meeting, please contact: Dr. Kaul at Kaul52@yahoo.com tel/fax: +91 11 2436 0492 and Dr. Lei, Ramsar Secretariat at lei@ramsar.org or tel: +41 22 999 0170. [25/11/04]

Standing Committee - change of dates and venue. The Ramsar Standing Committee Subgroups on COP9 and Finance will be meeting one week later than foreseen, and the venue has been changed to the Secretariat facilities in Gland, Switzerland. The Subgroup on COP9 will now be meeting 7-9 March 2005, and the Subgroup on Finance on the 10th. (The next full Standing Committee meeting remains scheduled for 6-10 June 2005 in Gland.) [25/11/04]

Montpellier workshop on francophone African wetlands. On behalf of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, ATEN (the Atelier Technique des Espaces Naturelles) is organizing a "Journées de rencontres" workshop on wetland management for Montpellier, France, 29 November to 4 December 2004. Partners in developing the meeting are the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Wetlands International, the Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage, La Station Biologique du Tour du Valat, and the Centre de Recherche des etudes Agronomiques des Régions Chaudes, and the subject will be "Préparation des dispositifs de formation des gestionnaires de zones humides de 5 pays d'Afrique francophone". Representatives of five African French-speaking countries, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Madagascar, will participate in the sessions, which are intended to strengthen institutional cooperation among actors; update the diagnosis of needs and resources; establish a work plan for the construction of training mechanisms; and define a strategy of financing of conservation actions. The Ramsar Senior Advisor, Abou Bamba, will make a presentation on Ramsar recommendations and Strategic Plan 2003-2008 related to training and capacity building, and his assistant, Ahmed El-Sabban, will present the Ramsar Handbooks series. More information at http://www.zhaf.espaces-naturels.fr/accueil/#partenaires. [25/11/04]

Now available. 3rd Pan-American Ramsar meeting's "Merida message". The pre-COP9 regional meeting for North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean area took place 7-12 November 2004 in Mérida, Mexico, and one of the tangible results of the sessions was agreement upon a regional workplan for the period leading up to the COP in 2005, embodied in a resolution called the "Merida Message" (Mensaje de Mérida). The draft versions, not for citation, are now available in both English and Español. [23/11/04]

Now available. Presentations for the Pan-European Ramsar meeting. The 5^th European Regional Meeting on the implementation and effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention will be taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 4 to 8 December 2004. "How best to implement the Convention? Are we doing enough? Are our approaches still adapted to new pressures of an evolving situation in Europe and the World? Where can we do better? What are our constraints? How to overcome them? Where does the Ramsar Convention stand at the beginning of the 21st century? How to interact with our partners and other stakeholders?" -- these are some of the Aims of the Meeting, and many of the papers and presentations that will be read and discussed during the sessions can now be previewed here in PDF format, with still more to follow early next week. [24/11/04]

Ramsar and Danone promote safe access to water in Cambodia. For more than 10 years, hydrogeologist Pierre Gubri has been digging wells in the villages of the Banteay Srei province, first from his own efforts and then with the help of the Ramsar Convention and the DANONE/Evian Fund, and a total of 34 wells and water pumps have been built in three communes and eight villages. The project has been funded by the Ramsar Convention, through the DANONE/Evian Fund for the year 2004, with the aim of raising local communities' awareness of the wise use of water and the conservation of wetlands - through the establishment of a "safe" water system. It reflects the broader water vision the Ramsar Convention is now developing. In the next few years, with the continuation of the DANONE/Evian Fund, Ramsar will maintain its support to this project and almost certainly develop similar projects. On 17 November 2004, a delegation from the Ramsar Convention and the DANONE Group went to the villages of Banteay Srei for the official ceremony celebrating the end of the first phase of the project and the finalization of the first 34 wells - Sebastià Semene Guitart provides the story. [22/11/04]

Ramsar news from the World Conservation Congress. IUCN's World Conservation Congress is presently underway in Bangkok, Thailand, with some 5000 participants and a nearly uncountable number of workshops, presentations, and business meetings. Here Ramsar's Sebastià Semene Guitart supplies a brief report of Ramsar's participation over the first few days of the meetings, including a lively session of the Global Synthesis Workshop on "Wetlands, water, health and livelihoods", chaired by Ramsar Standing Committee member Paul Mafabi, Uganda Wetlands Inspection Division, and sponsored by IUCN's Water and Nature Initiative, Ramsar, International Water Management Institute, and a sponsored workshop on "Managing water resources from the Ramsar Convention", chaired by Secretary General Peter Bridgewater and featuring speakers from Mexico, Cambodia, and the United States, as well as from Danone Group. [22/11/04]

Vacancy announcement. Wetlands International seeks project manager on wetlands and poverty reduction. Wetlands International has received from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DGIS, a grant contribution under the TMF funding mechanism for a global project on "Wetlands and Poverty Reduction". This presents an exciting and significant opportunity for Wetlands International to promote the role of wetlands in sustainable development through a partnership approach with the development sector. The Project Manager will be responsible for the contributing to project development and for effective implementation of all components and sub-projects within the global project, as well as meeting donor requirements of accounting and reporting in a timely and efficient manner. [link later removed] [23/11/04]

Kyoto Protocol to enter into force 16 February 2005. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) announced on 18 November that "The 90-day countdown to the Kyoto Protocol's entry into force was triggered today by the receipt of the Russian Federation's instrument of ratification by the United Nations Secretary-General. The Protocol will become legally binding on its 128 Parties on 16 February 2005. 'A period of uncertainty has closed. Climate change is ready to take its place again at the top of the global agenda,' said Joke Waller-Hunter, Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Secretariat, which services the UN Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol." More (PDF). [19/11/04]

Millennium Assessment's draft Ramsar Synthesis ready for comment. As part of its extensive work, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is preparing a report which synthesizes its key findings on issues of particular concern and interest to the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar synthesis report, to be entitled "Wetlands and Water: Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being", has been drafted by a synthesis team co-led by STRP Chair Max Finlayson and Rebecca D'Cruz, former Coordinator for Asia in the Ramsar Secretariat (left), and including a number of other STRP members and observers. A consultation draft of the MA Ramsar Synthesis Report has just been sent out by the MA Secretariat to all STRP members and observers for review and comment, as well as to all STRP National Focal Points and all Ramsar Contracting Party Administrative Authorities. Interested members of the public are also invited to comment upon this and the other synthesis reports, and further information on the process and the availability of the documents can be found here. [18/11/04]

Announcement.Ramsar opening for Intern for Africa. The Ramsar Secretariat welcomes applications for the position of Intern/Assistant Advisor for the Africa Region, a 12-month posting (possibly extendable to 18 months) in the Ramsar Secretariat in Switzerland to begin as soon as possible after 28 February 2005. 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 Africa and have lived most of their lives in the region. Full ability to work in English and French is required for this post. Prospective candidates: please view the General Terms of Reference for Ramsar internships (also available from the Secretariat), which includes conditions of service and salary structure, and send the application form attached to the General Terms of Reference, a covering letter, both in English and French, explaining your interest in an internship with the Ramsar Secretariat and your future career goals, your CV, as well as two letters of reference from your previous supervisors or dean of the faculty where you carried out your studies, to jobapplications@iucn.org. The deadline for applications is 9 December 2004. [18/11/2004]

Ramsar assists in international environmental law competition. The Secretary General, Peter Bridgewater, served as one of the three judges in the Stetson University College of Law's Ninth Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition, Saturday, 29-30 October 2004, in the state of Florida, USA. It is the only moot court competition that focuses exclusively on international environmental issues, and this year's problem focused on legal liability related to alien invasive species affecting a Wetland of International Importance. Here is a brief illustrated report. [17/11/04]

Announcement.Preparations for the 12th meeting of the Scientific & Technical review Panel (STRP12), 1-4 February 2005. As previously announced, the next full meeting of the STRP will be held from Tuesday 1 February to Friday 4 February 2005, at the Ramsar Secretariat offices in Gland, Switzerland. This will be the last plenary meeting of the Panel in the 2003-2005 triennium, and its primary focus will need to be on finalizing those guidelines and other materials prepared by the STRP which will be considered by COP9 in November 2005. Concerning the range of other detailed review and technical report materials being prepared by STRP Working Groups but which will not be considered by COP for adoption, as and when these become finalized they will be circulated to the Panel for its approval and then issued as reports in a new "Ramsar Technical Report" series which is being established with the approval of the STRP Chair, Chair of Standing Committee, and Chair of the Standing Committee Subgroup on Finance. Here is more detail from Nick Davidson on the planning for the upcoming meeting. [17/11/04]

From the Wetlands Forum.Raptors in Malaysian Ramsar sites. "Dear all. Some good news on the Malaysian Ramsar sites of Johor state. There have been excellent consistent sightings lead by the Parks staff and various nature interest groups of the migratory raptors, notably of Black Bazas -Aciceda Leuphotes and Oriental Honey-Buzzards Pernis Ptilorhynchus. This confirms the theory and belief that some raptors migrate via the southern most tip of mainland Asia (where Tanjung Piai -Ramsar ref: 1289 & Kukup Ramsar ref: 1287 Ramsar sites in Malaysia are located) These raptors heads towards the direction of Indonesia namely Sumatra and the Riau Archipelago. Little research has done here previously due to infrastructural inaccessibility. Hence this discovery is vital as it would generate tremendous interest and put these national parks / Ramsar sites in the raptors migration map. Regards, Harban Singh (sharban@pd.jaring.my), Ramsar Manager, PJNJ Johor, Malaysia." [17/11/04]

Headline story. Ramsar sets targets in Mexico. The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, His Exc. Alberto CárdenasJiménez (pictured left), the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, Mr. Peter Bridgewater, and the Director General of the Canadian Wildlife Service and Chair of the Ramsar Standing Committee's subgroup on finance, Mr. Trevor Swerdfager, opened the 3rd Pan-American Regional meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Speaking in the name of President Vicente Fox, Minister Cárdenas reiterated the importance of the conservation of wetlands and water resources in Mexico's political agenda, already demonstrated last February with the designation of 34 Ramsar sites for World Wetlands Day 2004. "Conserving and using wetlands in a sustainable way is very important at the regional scale and fundamental to recover the environmental health of our planet", said Cárdenas, while highlighting the need for an integrated approach in managing water resources at the river basins scale "taking into account the social perspective and the search for a sustainable human development, which is everyone's responsibility". Full story (with pictures) here. Reported by Sebastià Semene Guitart, Ramsar Secretariat [09/11/04]

Announcement. African Regional Preparatory Meeting for COP9 to be held in Tanzania. The Government of Tanzania has officially accepted to host the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for COP9 in the city of Arusha from 6-9 of April 2005. At its 30th meeting, the Convention's Standing Committee recognized the value of mid-term meetings of regional groupings of Contracting Parties and pre-accession countries in preparation of the 9th Conference of the Parties (COP9) to be held in Kampala, Uganda, 7-15 November 2005 with the theme Wetlands and water - supporting life, sustaining livelihoods. The Regional Meeting of the African Contracting Parties aims to analyze the major issues and concerns that characterize the expansion of the Convention and its work in the region. It will provide the opportunity to share experience and to discuss common problems, major achievements, and the need for future actions. Additional information will follow soon. [05/11/04]

Evian Encounter on Himalayan region. Ramsar's Evian Encounter for the Himalaya-Hindu Kush-Pamir-Allay region and the Mekong River basin countries is presently under way in Evian, France, 1-6 November 2004. The Evian Encounter series of seminars is part of a Ramsar Convention project financed by the France-based Danone Group, which includes the Evian Mineral Waters Society. The Encounters are designed to be discussions among high-level officials from the Contracting Parties to the Convention of current approaches to the implementation of the Ramsar Convention. This year's session, however, is being organized for both Contracting and non-Contracting Parties from the area under study. As the Himalayas function as Asia's water tower and are popularly known as the "roof of the world", with unique ecological and cultural values, they require a global focus for action. The Ramsar Convention Secretariat is very pleased to see a regional initiative emerging from the collective efforts of the countries in the region supported by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), WWF International, and Ramsar, as well as individual experts. This meeting will be a further step to consolidate the initiative and define its modus operandi for effective regional cooperation on the conservation and wise use of wetlands in this shared watershed, in continuing fulfillment of Ramsar Resolution VIII.12 on mountain wetlands. Here is the programme in PDF format. [01/11/04]

Seminar on the role of ecosystems as water suppliers, Geneva, 13-14 December 2004. Switzerland is organizing a seminar on the role of ecosystems as water suppliers which will take place on 13 and 14 December 2004 in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations. The Seminar is being prepared by the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape and the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE) secretariat of the Water Convention, in close cooperation with that of the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and of the UNECE Timber Committee. Please find the information under: http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/ecosystem/seminar.htm. The need to adopt an integrated approach and the role of ecosystems in water management has been increasingly recognized in past years, but putting it into practice with concrete measures is a complex exercise and a great challenge for every country. The seminar seeks to take stock of the available experience in the UNECE region, share best practices and bring in valuable expertise from other regions. To this aim Mr. Philippe Roch, Swiss State Secretary, has addressed a letter to the Ministers of Environment, Forestry and Agriculture in the UNECE region inviting them to submit national reports on the practical experience of integration of forests and wetlands in water management. [01/11/04]

World Wetlands Day 2005 materials ready for distribution. World Wetlands Day falls on 2 February every year, and each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular. In 2004, some 250 events in 85 countries were reported to us in the Secretariat and described on our Web pages. Every year, with generous financial assistance from the private sector Danone Group, the Secretariat has offered a new selection of posters, stickers, videos, pocket calendars, leaflets and information packs free of charge, and this year is no exception - an attractive and thought-provoking poster and three new stickers have been produced and are now available in English, French, or Spanish for event organizers all over the world, as well as in electronic format for those who might wish to customize them or print large quantities for themselves. In a break from the past, this year stocks of these materials have been shipped to the Convention's Administrative Authorities in the national governments of member States, and we are providing a list of contacts in all of these countries to whom event organizers should direct their requests in the first instance. Click here for further information about the available materials and how to order them. [28/10/04]

Ramsar in Norway. A Mid-Scandinavian symposium on the management of Trondheimfjord took place on 8-10 October 2004 in Stiklestad, Norway, organized by the Nord-Trøndelag county group of Norsk Ornitologisk Forening, the BirdLife International partner in Norway. Trondheimfjord is one of the longest fjords in Norway, surrounded by much agricultural land. Especially along its eastern shores, an important number of tidal and shallow water zones and flats, river estuaries and shoreline wetlands remain. Currently the two counties of South and Nord Trøndelag harbour six Ramsar Sites. "How to make best use of the Ramsar Convention tools by using them as an instrument for environmental planning and management" was the theme of a presentation at the symposium and of a special meeting of Ramsar's Adviser for Europe with the national and regional environment authorities and the mayors of the communes alongside Trondheimfjord. The briefing provided a useful occasion for conveying Ramsar's integrated approach at catchment basin level, including biological factors, but also social, institutional, economic and cultural aspects. Here is Ramsar's Tobias Salathé's characteristically informative and well-illustrated brief report on the meeting and field trip afterward. [28/10/04]

Visit by the delegation from Hunan Province, China. Invited by the Secretary General, Dr. Peter Bridgewater, the Hunan Delegation led by Mr. Yang Zhengwu, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Hunan, China, visited the Ramsar Convention Secretariat on 24 October 2004.[29/10/04]

New publication. Atlas of Loktak published. Wetlands International, Loktak Development Authority, and India-Canada Environment Facility have brought out a publication 'Atlas of Loktak lake' that presents information on ecological, hydrological and socio-economic aspects of this Wetland of International Importance in India. The book is the outcome of the project on sustainable development and water resources management of Loktak Lake with financial support provided by India-Canada Environmental Facility. Loktak lake is the largest wetland in the northeast of India, traditionally used for agriculture and fisheries. [29/10/04]

Sri Lanka launches National Wetland Policy. "During the past 15 years, Sri Lankan Authorities have increasingly recognized the importance of wetlands and their management. The first major step was the establishment of the National Wetland Steering Committee (NWSC) in 1990 with Cabinet approval, which was reconstituted in 2003, in order to integrate plans for wetland areas and to coordinate development and conservation activities. . . . The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, after having gone through a very wide consultative process, where all relevant stakeholders including the general public in country were involved, ultimately prepared the National Wetland Policy which was approved by the Government of Sri Lanka in May 2004." Here is a brief report on the policy and the way forward by Deputy Director T M A S K Rodrigo. [28/10/04]

International Canvasback Award for Canada's Ken Cox. David A. Smith, Chief Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, describes the presentation of the International Canvasback Award to Canada's Ken Cox on behalf of the North American Waterfowl Management Committee and partners in the United States. [27/10/04]

Vacancy announcement. Mekong vacancy for Environmental Economist. The joint UNDP/ IUCN / MRC Mekong River Basin Wetland Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme is a five-year programme of activities in the four lower Mekong countries. The Programme will strengthen the mechanisms for conservation of wetland biodiversity and assist the four countries with testing sustainable use approaches in demonstration sites. The programme is being managed from a Programme Management Unit (PMU) in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Presently the programme is seeking an Environmental Economist -- the position will initially be for a period of two years with possibility of extension for a further three years. Candidates from the four Lower Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam) will be given preference. The deadline for applications is 10 November 2004. [link later removed] [27/10/04]

Announcement.Management of transboundary Ramsar Sites - Chances and Challenges. An International Conference from 18-19th November 2004, Austria. Many Wetlands of International Importance listed under the Ramsar Convention are located in border zones of adjoining countries. Despite their obvious transboundary connectivity, these "shared wetlands" are often not perceived and treated as ecological and hydrological units. This poses a major challenge to wetland conservation, not only in terms of habitat management, regional planning and decision making, but also with respect to environmental education and public awareness activities. The conference will provide a forum for an intensive exchange of experience concerning these issues. It is intended for all persons involved in transboundary wetland conservation and management, namely conservation specialists, environmental educators and public relations officers from protected areas, experts in regional planning and members of higher administrative bodies responsible for transboundary Ramsar sites. Full details here (PDF file). [25/10/04]

A loss for wetland conservation. The staff of the Ramsar Secretariat are grieved by the death of Vadim Georgievitch Vinogradov who passed away on the 8th of October 2004 at his home in Moscow, Russia, one day before his 56th birthday. Vadim Vinigradov graduated from Moscow University, Faculty of Geography in 1971, and worked at the Faculty's Eastern Expedition in 1971-1977, at the Research Institute for Nature Conservation in 1977-1995, at the International Foundation of Reforms in 1995-1998, at the Federal Research Institute for Medical Problems of Health in 1998-2001, and at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Science from 2001. In his scientific studies, Vadim Vinogradov formulated the basic principles of wetland ecosystem dynamics in connection with their status in the system of biogeocoenosis successions, developed the national wetland classification and compiled the first national estimation of waterfowl populations by species (together with Vitaly Krivenko), developed the scheme of territorial zonation of the country for the purpose of wetland inventory, and carried out research on wetlands and water birds in many localities. Vadim worked on the Ramsar Convention from the early stages of its development. Thanks to his efforts, many important objectives of the Convention were translated into national strategic, legislative and managerial instruments. [22/10/04]

More to follow. Watch this space. 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 ). Updated regularly by Dwight Peck, Ramsar Secretariat.