The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 4 May 2011

Exhibition - underwater photographs by Michel Roggo in UAE

The Emirates Wildlife Society - WWF UAE in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy and the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi organised two photo exhibitions in April in the United Arab Emirates to celebrate Ramsar's 40th anniversary, the designation of Wadi Wurayah as a Ramsar Site, and wetland conservation in general.

Taken by Swiss photographer Michel Roggo, the photo exhibition showcases the beauty of Wadi Wurayah and Wadi Shawka as well as some of the dunes of Rubʼ al Khali and the mangroves of Khor Kalba and draws attention to conservation efforts to protect one of the last permanent freshwater wadis of the country. The Swiss Embassy hopes to bring this exhibition to Switzerland soon - maybe even to Gland. [03/05/11]

 More on the exhibition, the photographer and his photos.

16th meeting of STRP: Final report available

The full report of the 16th meeting of the Convention's Scientific & Technical Review Panel (STRP), held in Gland from 14-18 February 2011, is now available from download here. [02/05/11]

Wetland wilderness values in Estonia

On 18-20 April 2011, the Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) organised an international conference on “Mires and Wilderness” in the historical university town of Tartu. The meeting brought together more than 100 mire experts and students from Estonia and beyond. More [29/04/11]

Blue and Gold Macaws returned to the Nariva Wetlands Ramsar Site, Trinidad & Tobago

The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust has released 10 Blue & Gold Macaws (Ara ararauna, anendangered species in Trinidad & Tobago) into their natural home, the Nariva Wetlands Ramsar Site, to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Trust this year. More [26/04/11]

Republic of Korea names two Wetland Conservation Areas

 The Republic of Korea, which has joined the Ramsar Convention in 1997, has presently 16 Wetlands of International Importance with a total surface area of 14,547 hectares. Read more [21/04/11]

Dominican Republic names a wildlife refuge

The Dominican Republic, which joined the Convention in 2002, designates the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Laguna Cabral o Rincón (4,600 ha; 18°16’N 071°15’W) as its second Wetland of International Importance. This Ramsar Site located in Barahona and Independencia includes a freshwater lagoon, permanent and stationary rivers and inundated agricultural areas within the Laguna Cabral o Rincon Wildlife Refuge. More | Español [19/04/11] 

The Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia supported the Asian Wetland Management Forum

From the 17-19 of March 2011, the Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA-Honorary Director Dr Gea Jae Joo), in conjunction with the Ramsar Center Japan (RCJ), Wetlands International China (WI China), Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) supported the Asian Wetland Management Forum which was held at the Rainforest Development Center in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. More [18/04/11]

Wetlands Management moving forwards in the Lower Mekong Region

With the accession of Lao PDR to the Ramsar Convention in 2010, all the countries of the Lower Mekong River Basin are now Contracting Parties to the Convention. In order to assist the Lao government to implement the Convention, the IUCN Mekong Water Dialogues funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, together with additional support from the Ramsar Secretariat, organised a workshop from 21 - 25 March 2011 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. More [11/04/11]

Romania names a natural park

Iron Gates Natural Park (115 666 ha; N 44°41’ E 21°56’) is located in Caras Severin and Mehedinti Counties and is listed as a Natural Park. The site is situated in South West Romania. It is a potential Transboundary Ramsar Site of outstanding beauty bordering the Republic of Serbia along the course of the Danube river.It is mostly covered by forest that is interspersed with streams and freshwater pools. More [07/04/11]

Wetland centre staff exchanges – experiences so far and the challenge ahead

On 30 March the Ramsar Secretariat welcomed two guests, Laura Doxan from the Centre Natura in the Danube Delta, Romania, and Leyani Caballero Tier from the visitor centre at the Ciénaga de Zapata Ramsar Site in Cuba. They both work as animators in their centres but they also share something else in common – they are currently staying for one month at the Champ-Pittet Visitor Centre (situated in the Grande Cariçaie Ramsar Site in Switzerland) to benefit from the centre’s long experience in providing a ‘wetland experience’ for visitors to the centre, an experience they will put to good practice in their own centres. Read more about their visit to the Secretariat, discussion we shared on wetland centres and their potential for staff exchanges, and moving the ideas forward to reality. [04/04/11]

 Who's Where? 

Kati Wenzel, Senior Advisor Assistant for Europe is in Geneva on 2 and 3 May to attend the twelfth meeting of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment under the UNECE Water Convention. Tobias Salathé, Senior Regional Advisor for Europe will also attend this meeting on 4 May. [03/05/11]

Lew Young, Senior Regional Advisor for Asia – Oceania, will be attending the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum in Kuwait from 2 – 4 May. During this time, he will also be giving a presentation to officials from the government of Kuwait about the work of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands since the country is not yet a Contracting Party to the Convention. [29/04/11]

 For more old Ramsar Secretariat travel news, see also 'Who Was Where', 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 

Yesterday's News

Towards a community of practice of wetland project managers

A workshop, entitled ‘Towards a community of practice of wetland project managers: lessons learned from Central and West Asia and the Mediterranean’, was held from 9-13 October 2010 on the shores of Lake Uromiyeh in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The workshop was organised and hosted by the UNDP/GEF Conservation of Iranian Wetland Project and the Ramsar Regional Center for Central and West Asia, and brought together the managers of 11 (mainly Global Environment Facility funded) case study wetland conservation projects from Central and West Asia and the Mediterranean, with the aim to exchange best practices and lessons learned between the project managers. This is so as to establish a basis for establishing a community of practice to enhance the delivery of these and future projects in the region.

The workshop identified success indicators, lessons learned and examples of best practice from the case study projects across eight key implementation themes. Additionally it reviewed lessons learned and best practices in project design, management and exit strategies. A resource book (download PDF here) has been produced from the workshop that summarises the findings. The workshop was the first step towards establishing a community of practice and the participants at the workshop are looking forward to suggestion for a host and/or donor for the next workshop. [31/03/11]

Star Alliance’s new campaign features two Ramsar Sites

Today, Star Alliance has launched its new brand campaign featuring the Alliance’s “Biosphere Connections” initiative. Five high quality films are now being completed by the National Geographic team who shot them in the USA, Turkey, Brazil, Tanzania and India. More [30/03/11] 

Indonesia names two National Parks

The Government of Indonesia has designated two additional Wetlands of International Importance, Rawa Aopa Watumohai and Sembilang National Parks, bringing that country's Ramsar Sites total to five sites covering 964,600 hectares. Read more

Launch of a leaflet on Nishinoko, part of Lake Biwa Ramsar Site in Japan

Shigeki Komori, Conservation Officer at WWF Japan has shared with us a 32-page color brochure to introduce Nishinoko (part of Biwa-ko Ramsar Site) in Japan. The brochure was produced last October by Omi-hachiman Heartland Advancement Foundation, with whom WWF Japan has worked to conserve Nishinoko. It contains beautiful site pictures and presents the fauna and flora of this biologically and culturally important area.

Download the brochure here (PDF)

Youth Model Ramsar Convention 2011 in Changwon, Republic of Korea

Maurice Lineman from the Ramsar Regional Centre - East Asia has written to inform the Secretariat of this year's Youth Model Ramsar Convention 2011 hosted at the Changwon Exhibition Centre (CECO) in Changwon, Korea. The meeting took place on 12 and 13 February and gathered some 150 high-school students from all Korea. [24/03/11] 

> Read the full report here (PDF)

> Click here to access the associated Model Ramsar Operation Protocole Files

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 ).