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Ramsar STRP work: request for information on wetlands and river basin management (17/01/07)
Good morning everyone:
There is a message below from Lucia Scodanibbio which I hope you will make time to read. It concerns one area of work of our Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) - the technical work arm of the Convention that generates many of our resolutions and their guidelines. The particular area of work below has a significant CEPA component in looking at the CEPA tools and processes involved in river basin management. It would be a great help if you, or any of your colleagues, have some potentially suitable case studies or other information that you could share with Lucia (Scodanibbio@ramsar.org).
With best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat
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Dear colleagues
This communication is related to the ongoing development of guidance for integration of wetlands management into river basin management, as part of the work programme of the Ramsar Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP).
The purpose of this message is to solicit feedback and input to STRP work on this subject in the 2006-2008 triennium.
If you are already familiar with the background to this STRP task, then please scroll down to the end of the message to see the two initial questions on which we would appreciate inputs.
1. Background
During the 2003-2005 triennium, the STRP prepared additional guidance for integration of wetlands planning and management into larger river basin management processes (Res IX.1 Annex C i), to supplement the guidance already available in Ramsar Handbook 4 (2nd edition: River Basin Management). This additional guidance was approved at COP9 in Uganda in November 2005, and is available on the Ramsar website at http://www.ramsar.org/res/key_res_ix_01_annexci_e.htm
The additional guidance is based on a "Critical Path" model, which provides a framework for sequencing and synchronization of the various wetlands management activities and river basin management activities described in Handbook 4. The Critical Path approach provides a "road map" which helps to navigate through:
§ progressive planning, survey and decision-making activities related to water resources;
§ on to implementation of wetland management objectives; followed by
§ strategic steps of monitoring, reporting and review of objectives and plans.
As part of the workplan for the Ramsar Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) for 2006-2008, the water working group within the STRP has been tasked to develop in more detail an adaptation to the Ramsar context of the Critical Path approach for river basin management and (as appropriate) coastal zone management, and prepare operational guidance, including for the application of CEPA tools.
The STRP lead person for this task is Dr Heather MacKay.
Ms Lucia Scodanibbio of the Ramsar Secretariat is assisting with identification, selection, documentation and analysis of case studies.
2. Identification and analysis of case studies
The STRP has agreed that the most effective approach to further development of the guidance will be the collation and analysis of case studies that represent one or more of the steps in the Critical Path. The collation and analysis of case studies will be undertaken and the results presented in such a way as to provide very practical options and examples of different aspects (Critical Path steps) of integration of wetlands into RBM, in a variety of biogeographic, socio-economic and institutional settings.
We hope to identify relevant case studies and literature to illustrate:
a) current best practice or state of the art in each of the “steps” indicated in the critical path approach, and if available, to illustrate integration of wetlands and biodiversity issues into water resources management at river basin level. It would be instructive to also find illustrations of what can go wrong if certain key elements or steps are not addressed at the river basin level, and how problems can be overcome.
b) the development and application of specialised, targeted CEPA (communication, education and public awareness) tools, techniques and processes to facilitate planning and execution of one or more steps in the critical path.
c) the determination and implementation of environmental water requirements for wetland ecosystems, within a broader river basin planning and management context.
d) examples of integrated coastal zone management within a broader river basin planning and management context.
3. Invitation to submit feedback and assist in identification of potential case studies
The STRP water working group would welcome initial responses on the following two questions, in order to guide the first phase of work on this task:
i. Are there any particular aspects or specific steps of the Critical Path guidance (Res IX.1 Annex C i) that you feel should be addressed in more detail in this triennium ? If yes, what kind of detail would be helpful ?
In addition, if you already have some experiences in applying the guidance, we would welcome feedback from you. Feedback could be related to the content of the guidance as well as to the presentation and "packaging" of the guidance.
ii. Can you recommend potentially suitable case studies that might usefully illustrate one or more of the steps in the Critical Path process, or any of the situations noted in points (b), (c) and (d) above ?
These can be examples with which you are directly involved yourself, or you can suggest case studies which can be followed up by the working group. In either case, please can you provide:
- information on the site(s) in question (location, river basin name, country);
- one or two sentences describing the situation and which, if any, of the critical path steps might be illustrated by the example;
- the name and address of a contact person(s) or institution(s) with whom we can communicate further by telephone and email to gather more information about the case study.
Please address your responses (in English, French or Spanish) to Ms Lucia Scodanibbio at the Ramsar Secretariat, email scodanibbio@ramsar.org
We look forward to hearing from you.
Heather MacKay and Lucia Scodanibbio
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Sandra Hails, CEPA Programme Officer
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 999 0176; Fax: +41 22 999 0169
E-mail: hails@ramsar.org
Web Site: http://ramsar.org
CEPA mini-Web site: http://ramsar.org/outreach_index.htm
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