Briefing Note: Wetlands and the UNFCCC COP15 Climate Change Meeting

Greetings CEPA list members:

Briefing Note: Wetlands and the UNFCCC COP15 Climate Change Meeting
(Copenhagen, 7 - 18 December 2009)


As I'm sure most of you are aware, we are rapidly heading towards the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen presenting a real challenge for wetland people to ensure that wetlands and their role in mitigation and adaptation to climate change are adequately represented during these crucial talks. I have already circulated our World Wetlands Day materials including our leaflet that looks at wetlands, biodiversity and climate change and provides some facts and figures about this broad area. Now we have now another document available, a briefing note that has been prepared specifically with the Copenhagen meeting in mind.

This has been produced by Ramsar's Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) to inform both our formal contacts within the Contracting Parties as well as interested NGOs who may be attending the meeting on the recent decisions made by the Convention in relation to wetlands and climate change. This 8-page document is intended to be 'easy-reading', with 4 headline messages:

-Wetland ecosystems, their biodiversity and the wetland ecosystem services on which humans depend, are threatened by the likely impacts of climate change.
-Wetland ecosystems are important for climate change mitigation.
- Wetland ecosystems are essential for climate change adaptation.
- From words to actions: policies, planning and implementation related to climate change, at all levels from global to local, should recognize and incorporate the role and importance of wetland ecosystems.

Each headline message is supported by a number of key extracts from Ramsar's climate change documents as well as quotes from the WWD leaflet. This provides a very useful aide-memoire for anyone intending to be at the climate change meeting, or indeed for use in other situations where a clear Ramsar message on wetlands and climate change is required.

You can download the briefing note here: http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/strp/strp_briefing_climate_2009_e.pdf

With best regards, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat
****************************************************************

Sandra HAILS
CEPA Programme Officer
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
hails@ramsar.org
Tel: +41 22 9990176
Fax: +41 22 9990169
www.ramsar.org (go to Activities > CEPA Programme)