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A new CEPA action plan! (27/10/05)

Good afternoon from sunny Switzerland!

At last, a new CEPA Plan! My congratulations to the two CEPA Focal Points from Spain, Susana Calvo and Fernando Ramos - after almost four years of participatory work with a committed team of environmental education and wetland management officers from the state, autonomous communities and local administrations, NGOs, private companies working in this sector, researchers and experts - their Spanish CEPA plan is ready. The final product Guidance for CEPA Plans (Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness) in Spanish Wetlands is considered by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment as an important step forward to preserve what still remains of Spain’s rich and diverse wetland habitats.

The challenging preparatory process has been acknowledged by all the participants as a valuable learning process in itself, and the close working relationships established during the process will undoubtedly be valuable in ensuring the implementation of the guidance at local levels.

The plan acknowledges the value of social instruments in environmental management and notes that conservation and sustainable use of wetlands can only be attained through capacity building of the population - that is, of key sectors, of administrators and of the political class - to appreciate ecosystems and use them wisely.

As a result of the decentralized environmental management system in Spain they have developed the Guidance for wetland managers and the officials in the different Administrations with decision-making power over land uses, all of whom are guarantors of the application of legislation. The target audience also includes professionals in the use of social instruments such as environmental educators involved in management structures or doing work in this area; NGOs working in wetlands; and environmental education and public use teams or private companies undertaking activities in these areas, in coordination with the management team of each wetland.

In recognition of the important role of participation in environmental management, you will notice that the acronym CEPA in this guidance stands for Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness, a significant decision that has allowed the development team to base the guidance not only on Ramsar’s Resolution VIII.31 but also on Resolution VIII.36 on Participatory environmental management, with the understanding that participation is a learning process for all those involved, and on Resolution VIII.19 on Guiding principles for taking into account the cultural values of wetlands.

Finally this guidance also has taken note of the objectives of other relevant international conventions in developing the conceptual base, although the main objective is, of course, the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The other conventions include CBD, UNCCD, (both of which have CEPA Programmes), the Aarhus Convention (a European Convention), and the Spanish Action Plan for Protected Areas developed through EUROPARC-Spain.

So here it is – a new plan that will be of immense value in helping those countries still working on a CEPA plan and especially helpful for those countries yet to take the first step. And thanks to Spain we have it available in both Spanish and English, in PDF format here http://www.ramsar.org/outreach_nationalactionplans.htm (scroll down to national action plans and then Spain).

With best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat