The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Ramsar Bureau's Work Plan for 2001 (adopted by Standing Committee Decision SC25-18)

Based on the Convention’s Work Plan 2000-2002
adopted by Ramsar COP Resolution VII.27

GLOBAL ACTIONS

1. The actions described in this column are to be undertaken by the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General, and the Senior Advisor on Environment and Development Cooperation (SAEDC), in consultation with the Regional Coordinators and other staff as appropriate. The SG and DSG will be supported by Mireille Katz, the Executive Assistant for both of them, and the SAEDC will be assisted by Paulette Kennedy, Finance and Project Administration Assistant.

2. The Global actions also include most of the work of the Communications Team: Dwight Peck, Executive Assistant for Communications; Valerie Higgins, Assistant; and Sandra Hails, Advisor (provided that resources are available to keep her under contract in 2001).

3. The global actions will concentrate mainly on the following priorities:

a) to continue to develop synergies with other environment-related treaties and organizations in order to increase the profile of the Convention at the international level, as a means in turn to gain more recognition at the national level. This should facilitate the work of the institutions directly responsible for implementation in each country, and at the same time generate the involvement of other key institutions that so far have not been working with the Convention, such as those responsible for water resources management and land use planning;

b) to engage in a more fluid dialogue with the development assistance community, so as to generate more funds for wetland-related projects in developing countries and countries in transition;

c) to use the celebration of the 30^th Anniversary of the Convention as a tool to expand the outreach work of the Bureau, to increase the awareness of wetland values and functions and the visibility of the Convention, as a tool for contributing to sustainable development around the world;

d) to generate high-level draft technical and policy documents for submission to the 26^th meeting of the Standing Committee in preparation for COP8. This includes working very closely with the Scientific and Technical Review Panel and its many Working Groups, most of which should generate outputs that should serve as the basis for COP8 discussion papers and draft resolutions; and

e) to assist the Regional Coordinators in their efforts to encourage and support Contracting Parties to:

i) deliver on their pledges at COP7 in relation to Ramsar site designations and other aspects of the implementation of the Convention;
ii) application of the Strategic Framework for the development of the Ramsar List adopted by COP7, including issues related to the updating of the holdings of the Ramsar Sites Data Base;
iii) full implementation of Article 3.2 of the Convention; and
iv) full utilization of the National Report format as a national planning tool.

Article 3.2: "Each Contracting Party shall arrange to be informed at the earliest possible time if the ecological character of any wetland in its territory and included in the List has changed, is changing or is likely to change as the result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. Information on such changes shall be passed without delay to the organization or government responsible for the continuing bureau duties specified in Article 8." (Convention text, 1971)

AFRICA REGION

4. The actions described under this column of the Work Plan are to be undertaken mostly by the Regional Coordinator for Africa and the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator, in consultation with the Administrative Authorities and other staff as appropriate.

Regional Coordinator: Anada Tiega
Intern for Africa: Evans Okong'o

Background

5. The Africa region includes the mainland continent and the island states of Cape Verde, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe, and Seychelles, which makes a total of 53 countries. Thirty two of these countries are Contracting Parties to the Convention: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, The Gambia, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.

Issues and priorities

6. Africa is one of the driest continents with the most irregular rainfall. It has, however, a significant number of pristine wetlands, which have begun to experience immense pressure from human activities, the most pronounced being drainage for agriculture and settlement, excessive exploitation by local communities, and improperly planned development activities such as upstream dams for hydroelectric generation which alter wetland habitats.

7. Other threats to African wetlands include changes in wetland water quality due to the effects of industrial effluent and agricultural pesticides, siltation from highland catchment areas, and introduction of alien species of flora and fauna leading to colonisation by single species and loss of endemic species diversity. In Africa, wetlands are a major source of potable water and securing this resource has to be a priority. The Bureau therefore needs to be a strong advocate of total watershed or catchment level planning and management in Africa. This will also assist with managing the several major water systems which cross national boundaries and where there exists the potential for future conflicts over water access and use.

8. In the African Region it must be recognised that there are several obstacles to seeing the Ramsar Convention fully implemented by the Contracting Parties. These include:

a) staffing issues, notably: inadequately trained personnel; insufficient number of staff for wetland-related issues; low motivation of staff; and lack of office tenure for staff;
b) technical skills and tools, especially: lack of basic tools, equipment and machinery to aid management;
c) lack of adequate funds to cover running costs to undertake management and planning.
d) government policies and institutional arrangements, including: often lack of, or inadequate, government support and policies; and
e) poor, or little, institutional cooperation

9. The important role of wetlands in sustainable development needs to be underscored and communicated to policy makers and economic planners in Africa, so that their values and functions are taken into consideration. It must also be acknowledged that for Ramsar to be effective in Africa it must work in partnership with the many actors that exist there. These are organisations such as river or lake basin commissions and other organisations, some sub-regional institutions, FAO, UNEP, the bilateral and multilateral donors and the International Organization Partners (IOP) of the Convention.

Institutional arrangements in Africa

10. Many of the institutions which are responsible for Ramsar implementation do not enjoy a clear mandate and strong support from the central government. It is therefore important that the stability of these institutions in terms of their set-up, staffing, and financing be clarified and reinforced. At the same time, it is very important that the Convention generates the interest and support of other national institutions that have a significant impact on wetland conservation and management, even when in some instances they do not have the explicit mandate to deal with wetlands. In this sense, it is essential that the Bureau encourages and supports the creation of appropriate national mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention - especially the formation of National Wetlands/Ramsar Committees in every country.

Building the capacity for planning and management

11. Support is urgently needed for the formulation of National Wetland Policies and capacity building within the institutions responsible for wetland and water management.

12. The Convention has now published its "toolkit" for implementation, including all the technical and policy guidelines adopted so far by the Conference of the Parties. A special effort is required to provide encouragement and training for the effective use of these tools. In the case of Africa in particular, there is an urgent need to encourage the support of donor Contracting Parties and the international community at large to make this possible.

AMERICAS REGION

13. The actions described under this column of the Work Plan are to be undertaken mostly by the Regional Coordinator for the Americas and the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator, in consultation with the Administrative Authorities and other staff as appropriate.

Regional Coordinator: Margarita Astrálaga
Intern for the Americas: Marco Flores

Background

14. The Americas Region of the Ramsar Convention comprises 24 Contracting Parties. (Argentina, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela). There are a further 11 Caribbean Island States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) which are not Party to the Convention.

15. The Contracting Parties to the Convention have designated 133 Ramsar Sites (as of 17 October 2000), out of which five figure on the Montreux Record and many more are threatened by possible or ongoing ecological change.

Issues and priorities

16. The developing countries in the Region experience often great wetland management problems due to poverty, high population densities in their catchment basins, intensive and poor land-use practices, lack of knowledge of the basics’ of wetlands functions and values, communications limitations, lack of management plans and implementation and political complexities. Given the number of countries not Party to the Convention, the innumerable problems and needs faced by the Parties, the lack of financial resources and the considerable distance from the Ramsar Bureau is not always easy to provide the service that Parties need.

17. It is therefore very important to find other innovative ways to support the accession of new Parties and assist countries in the region to improve the implementation of the Convention. There is no doubt that the Wetlands for the Future Initiative has been (in the last five years) and continues to be one of the most important tool to assist developing countries in the region to improve the implementation of the Convention.

18. The US should be thanked for this important contribution and requested to provide additional financial support when ever possible. Canada and other developed countries with territories and overseas departments in the Caribbean should also be encouraged to make such a financial contribution to assist developing countries in the region to enhance their abilities to fully implement the Convention.

19. Regional priorities for this triennium:

• Priority Wetlands in the Neotropics: Mangroves, Peatlands and River Basins.
• Increase efforts to complete national wetland policies/strategies/action plans and to assess the feasibility of developing provincial or local plans.
• Strengthen efforts to integrate conservation and the wise use of wetlands with land use, groundwater, catchment basin, river basin and coastal planning and management at all levels.
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to complete the identification of wetland-related training needs and adopt a co-ordinated approach to exploring the feasibility of sharing training resources and expertise bilaterally or multilaterally.
• Strengthen efforts to develop, implement and monitor management plans for Ramsar sites.
• Increase international co-operation for the management of shared wetlands or catchment basins and encourage the designation of twin Ramsar sites.
• Continue to promote accession of the Caribbean Island countries.
• Encourage the inclusion of wetland themes in school curricula.
• Strengthen the integrated implementation of international conventions.
• Update wetland inventories in each Contracting Party, including information on total area and rate of loss or conversion.
• Propose additions to the list of Ramsar sites, paying particular attention to under-represented habitat types (coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds and peat bogs) and develop management plans for all sites.
• Escalate the efforts to undertake economic valuations of wetlands to assist with decision-making.

ASIA REGION

20. The actions described under this column of the Work Plan are to be undertaken mostly by the Regional Coordinator for Asia and the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator, in consultation with the Administrative Authorities and other appropriate staff members.

Regional Coordinator: Najam Khurshid
Intern for Asia: Satiraporn Sirisampan (from November 2000)

Background

21. The Asia Region has so far 21 Contracting Parties: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand and Vietnam.

Issues and priorities

22. Increasing membership in the Convention remains a high priority for the Asia region. Lao P.R.D and Tajikistan have shown keen interest to join the Convention. Membership remains weak among the states of the Middle East, while Central Asia is still not represented. There is a need to increase understanding of the obligations and benefits of membership, as well as the new tools and approaches that the Convention has developed and continues to develop.

23. New site designations remains a high priority for the region. Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand and Vietnam have only one listed site each, designated at the time of accession to the Convention. Efforts will continue to encourage CPs to designate more Ramsar sites. Japan is well advanced in this aspect of the implementation of the Convention, and India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are working to designate more Ramsar sites.

24. In some CPs, frequent changes of agency/department as the Ramsar Administrative Authorities is an obstacle in the implementation of the Convention. This problem is further aggravated by financial constraints and limited knowledge about the obligations and technical aspects of the Convention within Administrative Authorities. This problem could be overcome through the development of stronger linkages with Ramsar International Organization Partners at regional and sub-regional level; some of them have already formal or semi-formal working relations with the Administrative Authorities. The Bureau will continue to encourage and support the Partners in their efforts and explore opportunities to develop new partnerships, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia.

25. Related to the above, there is an urgent need for capacity building within the Administrative Authorities and among wetland site managers. While there are a number of training initiatives underway in the region, training needs analyses coupled with a review of training opportunities is needed to ensure greater coordination and effectiveness. The Bureau will continue to explore opportunities to establish a region-wide wetland management training initiative.

EUROPEAN REGION

26. The actions described under this column of the Work Plan are to be undertaken mostly by the European Regional Coordinator and the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator, in consultation with the MedWet Coordinator and other staff as appropriate.

Regional Coordinator: Tobias Salathé
Intern for Europe: Inga Racinska (from November 2000)

Background

27. The European Region of the Ramsar Convention comprises 42 Contracting Parties that have together declared 668 Ramsar Sites (as of 13 September 2000), out of which 31 figure on the Montreux Record and many more are threatened by possible or ongoing ecological change. Two additional countries are in the process of accession to the Convention (Bosnia & Herzegovina and Cyprus), which will make European membership in the Convention nearly complete (excluding the three micro-states Andorra, Holy See and San Marino).

28. European countries experience often great wetland management problems due to high population densities in their catchment basins, intensive land-use pressures, and political and linguistic complexities. Given the high number of countries and Ramsar sites, and the increasing pressures on European wetlands, this region is arguably also the most complex and demanding region to be served by the Ramsar Bureau.

29. It is therefore of high importance and value that Contracting Parties with more advanced national wetlands policies and management structure make increased efforts to share their experience with countries in economic transition and in urgent need for external support. In this way, national wetland conservation policies can be brought up to "European standard" levels.

Issues and priorities

30. Increased solidarity between the rich countries with highly developed wetland conservation, management and restoration capacities and the poor European countries in economic transition with needs for technology transfer and institutional capacity-building is a high priority for this beginning third millennium, if the Ramsar Convention is going to achieve its objectives and contribute to wise use of wetlands on the ground. To this end, the Ramsar Bureau will rely, even more so than ever before, on the active technical and financial support from and collaboration with the more advanced western European countries.

31. The elaboration and implementation of appropriate instruments for national wetland policies that ensure the wise use of all remaining wetlands within the territories of all European states is a crucial priority. The Bureau will stimulate and support Contracting Parties on a regular basis to become more active and result-oriented in this field.

32. As the region with by far the largest number of Ramsar sites (although not necessarily by surface area), Europe has many problems with the appropriate management of its Ramsar sites. Improvement of the management of many European Ramsar sites is therefore seen as a priority for the implementation of the Strategic Framework for the future development of the Ramsar Site List. The Bureau will stimulate and support all Contracting Parties to achieve measurable results in this domain during 2001. Training programmes and exchange of experience, knowledge and know-how will be essential. The alleviation of threats and pressures on many existing Ramsar sites is a high priority. Progress with the establishment of monitoring procedures for an increasing number of sites is anticipated.

33. The development of the third Ramsar pillar: increased international cooperation, so far often neglected or only supported half-heartedly in the region, will be a priority in 2001. As a priority, individual Contracting Parties will be encouraged to progress with the management of shared sites, shared water catchments, and species. The implementation of the Ramsar Guidelines for International Cooperation provide the necessary tools at all levels: in the domain of increased collaboration between Ramsar and other global and regional environmental conventions, in the field of Pan-European cooperation for biodiversity conservation and related issues, as well as in the form of individual technical support to those countries lacking sufficient resources. This is often most pronounced in the public services responsible for wetland conservation in Newly Independent States and countries in economic transition.

34. Finally, the implementation of the many announcements and commitments made, and the Resolutions adopted, at COP7 in 1999 will be a short-term priority in 2001. The first year of the new millennium will be forward-looking, thus laying the ground, during the regional meeting scheduled for October 2001 in Slovenia, for the development of a modern Ramsar Strategy 2003-2008 and an Action Plan that stands up to its expectations.

OCEANIA REGION

35. In the absence of a Regional Coordinator for Oceania in the Bureau, the actions related to this region are included under the Asia Region column of the Work Plan. These actions are to be undertaken mostly by the Deputy Secretary General, with some administrative assistance from the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Asia, and working very closely with Wetlands International – Oceania office based in Canberra, which is supported by the Australian Government.

Background

36. There are currently three Contracting Parties in this Ramsar region: Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. The Pacific Small Island Developing States remain one of the major gaps in the global membership of the Convention. Several of these, particularly through the work of Wetlands International – Oceania, are now approaching accession. Limitations to such progress are complex, but particularly relate to the need for capacity building and financial implications. Many of these countries have few professionals dealing full time with environmental management and they already have made important commitments to other Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Joint Work Plans and joint actions with other global conventions, such as that with CBD, are considered to help encourage developing the links with Ramsar.

37. Issues related to the Oceania Region were previously dealt with by the former Deputy Secretary General, Dr Bill Phillips, who had a first-hand experience with the region. For the present, and particularly with the recent arrival (in mid-2000) of a new Regional Coordinator for Asia, Najam Khurshid, it is proposed that the responsibility will continue to be undertaken chiefly by the Deputy Secretary General, with some administrative assistance provided by the Intern for Asia. This will be kept under review during 2001, especially if the number of Contracting Parties in the region increases. If this is the case, obtaining resources for an intern for Pacific Small Island States in the Bureau could become a priority.

Issues and priorities

38. Within this region, Australia and New Zealand are well advanced in their implementation of the Convention. Therefore, the priority will be to assist PNG with implementation of the Convention and the Pacific Small Island Developing States of the region to progress towards accession. Assistance to Australia and New Zealand will be on an ‘as requested’ only basis.

THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

39. The activities and projects under this column of the Work Plan are related to the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) and are the responsibility of the outposted MedWet Team, which includes the MedWet Coordinator and three wetland centres, in close collaboration with the Ramsar Bureau.

MedWet Coordinator: Thymio Papayannis, based in Athens, Greece, reporting to the Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands (a project funded position).

Wetland centres:

• The Greek Biotope / Wetland Centre (EKBY), Thessaloniki (Greece), which includes the MedWet Secretariat with funding from the Greek Government;
• Sede para el Estudio de los Humedales Mediterráneos (SEHUMED), University of Valencia (Spain), supported financially by the Spanish Government and the Generalitat Valenciana; and
• Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, Arles (France), assisted financially by the French Government.

Note: A fourth wetland centre in North Africa was expected to be established in 2000 and to join the MedWet Team. Uncertainties and delays that have occurred, however, may not make this possible in 2000.

40. The Mediterranean, an area with characteristic ecological, historical and cultural unity, includes 25 countries belonging officially to three Ramsar regions (Africa, Asia and Europe). Participation in the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) and in the Mediterranean Wetlands Committee (MedWet/Com) which guides it, is broader than that of Ramsar Contracting Parties. MedWet/Com, formally recognized by Resolution VII.22 "as a forum for collaboration on wetland issues in the Mediterranean and as an advisor to the Convention in this region", is composed of 23 Ramsar Contracting Parties, two states not yet belonging to the Convention (Bosnia & Herzegovina and Cyprus) and the Palestinian Authority, four inter-governmental bodies (European Commission, UNDP, Barcelona and Bern Conventions), and seven non-governmental organisations and wetland centres.

41. The modus operandi of the MedWet Team is substantially different from that of the Regional Teams of the Ramsar Bureau itself. It focuses more on specific activities and projects, which it initiates, develops and, in many cases, manages. This is in addition to the MedWet Team’s catalytic role in encouraging joint action, sharing of knowledge and expertise, and assisting with training and capacity development for policy and management of wetlands.

Issues and priorities

42. In the Mediterranean, a number of social, economic and political issues result in excessive pressures on wetlands and lead to their degradation or destruction. Thus wetland loss in the region during the 20^th century is estimated to average 50%. These issues are: poverty in the South and East of the region with great inequalities throughout, explosive population growth in the poorest countries of the region, strong economic migration trends, and increasing transient population pressure on the coastal zones due to tourism.

43. The resulting major problems are:

• demand for space, especially in the coastal zones, often to the detriment of wetlands;
• water scarcity due to increased demand for irrigated agriculture and tourism, affecting wetlands;
• serious water pollution from industrial, domestic, as well as agricultural sources; and
• unsustainable exploitation of wetland resources, especially fish and game.

44. To face these problems, the MedWet Initiative has focused on actions at three levels. At the international level, promoting collaboration, financial and technical assistance and sharing of experience and know-how. At the national level, encouraging the preparation of national wetland policies, improving legislation, and strengthening the capacity of services concerned with, or having an impact on, wetlands. On the site level, focusing on catalysing management actions, with the involvement of stakeholders.

45. Most of this work is done through methods and tools designed for the Mediterranean context, and through the establishment and strengthening of active partnerships in the region.

46. For the coming year, the MedWet priority sectors include water (through its membership in the Mediterranean Advisory Committee (MEDTAC) of the Global Water Partnership), climate change, sustainable resource use (through membership in the Mediterranean Committee on Sustainable Development of the Barcelona Convention), and the cultural and social aspects of wetlands.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 1
TO PROGRESS TOWARDS UNIVERSAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE CONVENTION.

Operational Objective 1.1: To endeavour to secure at least 150 Contracting Parties to the Convention by 2002.

1.1.1 Recruit new Contracting Parties, especially in the less well represented regions (Africa, central Asia, the Middle East and the Small Island Developing States).

Target - 150 CPs by COP8

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 2
TO ACHIEVE THE WISE USE OF WETLANDS BY IMPLEMENTING AND FURTHER DEVELOPING THE RAMSAR WISE USE GUIDELINES.

Operational Objective 2.1: To review and, if necessary, amend national or supra-national (e.g. European Community) legislation, institutions and practices in all Contracting Parties, to ensure that the Wise Use Guidelines are applied.

2.1.1 Carry out a review of legislation and practices, and indicate in National Reports to the COP how the Wise Use Guidelines are applied. [CPs]

Target – At least 100 CPs to have comprehensively reviewed their laws and institutions related to wetlands by COP8

2.1.2 Promote much greater efforts to develop national wetland policies, either separately or as a clearly identifiable component of other national conservation planning initiatives, such as National Environment Action Plans, National Biodiversity Strategies, or National Conservation Strategies. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target – By COP8 at least 100 CPs with National Wetland Policies or, where appropriate, a recognised document that harmonises all wetland-related policies/strategies and plans, and all CPs to have wetlands considered in national environmental and water policies and plans. The Guidelines for integrating wetland conservation and wise use into river basin management (Res. VII.18) will assist these efforts.

Operational Objective 2.2: To integrate conservation and wise use of wetlands in all Contracting Parties into national, provincial and local planning and decision-making on land use, groundwater management, catchment/river basin and coastal zone planning, and all other environmental planning and management.

2.2.1 Gather and make available to Contracting Parties information on land use planning related to wetlands, and catchment/river basin and coastal zone planning in particular. [Bureau]

Target – COP7 adopted through Resolution VII.18 Guidelines for integrating wetlands conservation and wise use into river basin management. In the next triennium guidelines for integrating wetlands into coastal zone planning and management will be developed for consideration at COP8.

Operational Objective 2.3: To expand the Guidelines and Additional Guidance to provide advice to Contracting Parties on specific issues not hitherto covered, and examples of best current practice.

2.3.1 Expand the Additional Guidance on Wise Use to address specific issues such as oil spill prevention and clean-up, agricultural runoff, and urban/industrial discharges in cooperation with other bodies. [CPs, STRP, Bureau, Partners]

Target - Following COP7, the Bureau, with other appropriate collaborators, will produce a series of Wise Use handbooks, based on the outcomes of Technical Sessions at COP7.

Operational Objective 2.4: To provide economic evaluations of the benefits and functions of wetlands for environmental planning purposes.

2.4.3 Initiate specific activities which implement the findings on economic evaluations published under 2.4.2 [CPs]

Target - The Bureau has initiated a project, in collaboration with IUCN and supported by funds from the Swiss Government, in the countries of the Southern Africa Development Community on economic valuation of wetlands.

Operational Objective 2.5: To carry out environmental impact assessments (EIAs) at wetlands, particularly of proposed developments or changes in land/water use which have potential to affect them, notably at Ramsar sites, whose ecological character "is likely to change as the result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference" (Article 3.2 of the Convention).

2.5.1 Expand the Additional Guidance on Wise Use by preparing, for a technical session at the 7^th COP (1999), the results of a review of environmental appraisal guidelines and examples of current best practice in EIA. [SC, STRP, Bureau, Partners]

Target - In the next triennium, the development of further guidance in this area will be done in collaboration with CBD, CMS, IUCN and the International Association for Impact Assessment.

Operational Objective 2.6: To identify wetlands in need of restoration and rehabilitation, and to implement the necessary measures.

2.6.2 Provide and implement methodologies for restoration and rehabilitation of lost or degraded wetlands [CPs, STRP, Bureau, Partners]

Target – The addition of appropriate case studies and information on methodologies, etc., to the Convention’s Wise Use Resource Centre will be a priority in the next triennium.

Operational Objective 2.7: To encourage active and informed participation of local communities, including indigenous people, and in particular women, in the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

2.7.1 Implement Recommendation 6.3 on involving local and indigenous people in the management of wetlands. [CPs, Bureau]

Target - In the next triennium, the implementation of the above Guidelines is to be one of the Convention’s highest priorities. By COP8 all CPs to be promoting local stakeholder management of wetlands.

The Bureau has published Handbook 5 on Establishing and strengthening local communities’ and indigenous people’s participation in the management of wetlands.

2.7.4 Recognise and apply traditional knowledge and management practice of indigenous people and local communities in the conservation and wise use of wetlands. [CPs]

• Refer to 2.7.1 above.

Target - This will be addressed in the next triennium, possibly in partnership with the Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention to Combat Desertification, which have already initiated work in this area.

Operational Objective 2.8: To encourage involvement of the private sector in the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

2.8.1. Encourage the private sector to give increased recognition to wetland attributes, functions and values when carrying out projects affecting wetlands. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Note. In the past triennium the Bureau entered into the innovative "Evian Project" in partnership with the multinational Danone Group and several French government agencies through which projects on training and communications are being sponsored. [Note: The Evian/Danone Group has agreed to continue funding the project in 2001-2002]

Target - In the next triennium the efforts to work in partnership with the private sector will be further escalated and the Bureau will seek to document and make available case studies on some of the more effective and innovative approaches. By COP8 the target is to have private sector support for wetlands conservation in more than 100 CPs.

2.8.2 Encourage the private sector to apply the Wise Use Guidelines when executing development projects affecting wetlands. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target - In the next triennium the application of this tool for promoting Wise Use will be a priority under the Convention. By COP8 the target is to have more than 50 CPs which have completed reviews of their incentive measures.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 3
TO RAISE AWARENESS OF WETLAND VALUES AND FUNCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND AT ALL LEVELS.

Operational Objective 3.1: To support and assist in implementing, in cooperation with partners and other institutions, an international programme of Education and Public Awareness (EPA) on wetlands, their functions and values, designed to promote national EPA programmes.

3.1.1 Assist in identifying and establishing coordinating mechanisms and structures for the development and implementation of a concerted global programme of EPA on wetlands. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target - By COP8 to see the global network of proposed CP focal points for Wetland Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) in place and functioning effectively in the promotion and execution of the global Outreach Programme. To secure the resources to increase the Bureau’s capacity for implementing the Outreach Programme.

3.1.2 Participate in the identification of regional EPA needs and in the establishment of priorities for resource development. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Targets - Refer to 3.1.1 above.

Operational Objective 3.2: To develop and encourage national programmes of EPA on wetlands, targeted at a wide range of people, including key decision-makers, people living in and around wetlands, other wetland users and the public at large.

3.2.1 Encourage partnerships between governments, non-governmental organizations and other organizations capable of developing national EPA programmes on wetlands. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target - By COP8 to see the global network of proposed CP and non-government focal points for Wetland Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) in place and functioning effectively in the promotion and execution of the national Outreach Programmes in all CPs. To secure the resources to increase the Bureau’s capacity for implementing the Outreach Programme.

Refer to 3.1.1. above.

Operational Objective 3.3: To improve the Ramsar Bureau’s communications activities and to develop a Convention Communications Strategy, capable of further promoting the Convention and its wider application, and of raising awareness of wetland values and functions.

3.3.1 Review the Bureau’s communications activities, especially those related to the creation and functioning of regional and national communication networks; develop new material and use of technology, and improve existing material. [Bureau]

3.3.3 Prepare material, complementary to the existing Ramsar information package, to highlight specific regional issues and the benefits of membership for non-Contracting Parties. [SC regional representatives, Bureau, Partners]

This was done for Small Island Developing States and for west Asia.

Target - By COP8 to have produced such material for Africa.

3.3.4 Seek the support of an electronic communications carrier to provide and maintain an electronic mail network and electronic bulletin board/mailing lists linking the Contracting Parties, Standing Committee members, the STRP, the Bureau, and partner organizations. [All]

The Convention’s site on the World Wide Web is increasingly the Bureau’s primary communication tool. During the year 1999, the site received an average of 9,000 user sessions per month from 144 nations, with nearly 500,000 pages viewed, and as of September 2000 the Ramsar site (formerly hosted by IUCN’s Web site, but presently independent) has grown to nearly 4,200 documents and images. In addition, there are several e-mail groups operating effectively (Ramsar Forum, Ramsar Exchange, STRP and Standing Committee). No private sector support has been sought as yet. The Outreach Programme proposes a continuing escalation in the use and application of the Internet as a communication tool of the Convention. With funds from the "Evian Project" (refer to 2.8.1 above), a number of developing country Administrative Authorities have been assisted to gain access to the Internet during this triennium.

Target - By COP8 to gain a sponsor(s) for the Convention’s Web site, to ensure that all CPs have Internet access, to increase the use of French and Spanish in the Ramsar Web site, and to see over 300 Ramsar site managers also communicating with the Bureau, and each other, via the Internet.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 4
TO REINFORCE THE CAPACITY OF INSTITUTIONS IN EACH CONTRACTING PARTY TO ACHIEVE CONSERVATION AND WISE USE OF WETLANDS.

Operational Objective 4.2: To identify the training needs of institutions and individuals concerned with the conservation and wise use of wetlands, particularly in developing countries, and to implement follow-up actions.

4.2.3 Develop new training activities and general training modules, for application in all regions, concerning implementation of the Wise Use Guidelines, with specialized modules covering ......... [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target - To launch a major wetland manager training initiative under the Convention, possibly in partnership with one or more of the Convention’s International Organization Partners, which can promote and take advantage of these new training tools. Refer also to 4.2.4 below regarding the Wetlands for the Future Initiative.

4.2.4 Provide opportunities for manager training by: personnel exchanges for on-the-job training; holding pilot training courses at specific Ramsar sites; siting wetland manager training facilities at Ramsar sites; obtaining and disseminating information about training courses for wetland managers around the world. [CPs, Bureau, Partners]

Target - Refer to 4.2.3 above. Also to seek the resources from donors or interested CPs to establish Wetlands for the Future Initiatives for the Asia-Pacific, Eastern European and African regions.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 5
TO ENSURE THE CONSERVATION OF ALL SITES INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE (RAMSAR LlST).

Operational Objective 5.1: To maintain the ecological character of Ramsar sites.

5.1.3 Review and regularly update the Montreux Record (Res. 5.4, 5.5 and VI.1)

Target – CPs with sites in the Montreux Record, and for which Ramsar Advisory Missions have been completed prior to COP7, are expected to have taken the actions necessary to warrant their reomval from the Record before COP8

5.1.4 Increase application of the Ramsar Advisory Missions (RAMs) to provide advice on future management of Ramsar sites. [CPs, SC, Bureau]

Target – refer to 5.1.2 and 5.1.3

5.1.6 Identify the potential impact on the ecological character of Ramsar sites of global threats, including toxic chemicals (Recommendation 6.14), climate change and sea level change. [STRP, Bureau, Partners]

The STRP has responded in part to this action through the development of a Wetland Risk Assessment Framework (Resolution VII.10).

Targets - By COP8, to see the Wetland Risk Assessment Framework being regularly applied in all CPs. The STRP will prepare for consideration at COP8 a comprehensive review of the potential impacts of climate change on wetlands and the roles that wetlands can potentially play in mitigating the effects of climate change and sea level rise.

Operational Objective 5.2: To develop and implement management plans for all Ramsar sites, consistent with the Convention’s Guidelines on Management Planning and emphasizing involvement of local communities and other stakeholders.

5.2.1 Review the Guidelines on Management Planning in the light of practical experience and Recommendation 6.13. [COP]

Target - The STRP to prepare for consideration at COP8 the additional guidance on management planning recommended by the review undertaken in this triennium.

5.2.3 Ensure that, by the 8th COP (2002), management plans or other mechanisms are in preparation, or in place, for at least half of the Ramsar sites in each Contracting Party, beginning with pilot programmes at selected sites with input from local communities and other stakeholders. [CPs, Partners]

The National Reports for COP7 indicate that management plans are in place or being prepared for 416 or 44% of Ramsar sites at present (Resolution VII.12).

Target - By COP8 management plans will be in preparation, or in place, for at least three-quarters of the Ramsar sites in each CP and all CPs will seek to ensure that these are being implemented in full.