From the Ramsar Forum

New book on Conserving Migratory Waterbirds

(posted to the Ramsar Forum, 8 November 1999)

Strategies for Conserving Migratory Waterbirds: Proceedings of Workshop 2 of the 2nd International Conference on Wetlands and Development held in Dakar, Senegal, 8-14 November 1998

Edited by Albert Beintema and Janine van Vessem

Wetlands International is pleased to announce that the Proceedings of Workshop 2- Strategies for Conserving Migratory Waterbirds from last year's 2nd International Conference on Wetlands and Development is now available.

Workshop 2 reviewed conservation strategies for one aspect of wetland biodiversity - migratory waterbirds. These spectacular and highly mobile species can only be conserved by coordinated efforts at intercontinental flyway level. The workshop compared strategies developed in the Asia-Pacific and the American region, with the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), a new instrument under the Bonn Convention to conserve waterbirds across the African/Eurasian region. Keynote speakers explained large-scale conservation strategies, while case studies and poster presentations dealt with activities at a smaller scale. As called for in the AEWA Action Plan, a set of nine so-called Conservation Guidelines is being produced, seven of which were discussed in draft during the workshop.

This volume first presents the conclusions of the workshop, and then is divided into three sections, dealing with global waterbird conservation strategies, regional aspects of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), and case studies in the AEWA region, respectively. The final programme and the abstracts of the posters presented, are given as appendices.

Published in time for this week's Africa Eurasian Waterbird Agreement meetings in Cape Town, "the proceedings of this workshop", Dr Gerard C. Boere from the AEWA interim Secretariat was quoted as saying, "are a vital part of the work of letting the AEWA become a living international instrument and an example for other regions of the world".

Strategies for Conserving Migratory Waterbirds is available from The Natural History Book Service for UKP 10.00 + p&p and can be ordered online at the NHBS web site: http://www.nhbs.co.uk/ NHBS Mailorder Bookstore 2-3 Wills Road, Totnes, TQ9 5XN. UK Tel: +44(0)1803 865913 - Fax: +44(0)1803 865280 sales@nhbs.co.uk 

Best regards, Simon Nash, Wetlands International, Nash@Wetlands.agro.nl

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