The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

International Workshop on Conservation of Wetlands and their Wise Use in Korla City, Xinjiang of China

International Workshop on Conservation of Wetlands and their Wise Use in Korla City, Xinjiang of China

The International Workshop on Conservation of Wetlands and their Wise Use was held in Korla City, the Capital of Bayangolin Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, from 5-12 June 2001. The Workshop adopted an important document, the Korla Declaration.

The workshop was attended by 134 participants from throughout China as well as overseas. International and overseas organizations participating included representatives from the Ramsar Bureau, Wetlands International, CBD-Ramsar River Basin Initiative/Global Environment Centre, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), IUCN-Netherlands Committee, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Ramsar Centre-Japan.

The meeting was officiated by Mr. Ma Fu, Vice Administrator of State Forestry Administration of China, Mr. Xiong Huiyin, the Vice Chairman of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Mr. Shen Maocheng, the Commissioner of China People’s Political Consultation Conference. The representatives of participating international and overseas organizations delivered addresses at the opening ceremony.

The participants discussed a range of issues related to conservation and wise use of wetlands, with a focus on wetland management, community participation and migratory waterbirds, and proposed a number of recommendations for action.

The field trip was an important part of Workshop. During 5 days of field trip participants had an opportunity to know and understand the different types of wetlands in Xinjiang.

The organizers of the meeting plan to publish Proceedings of workshop in 2002.

-- reported by Li Lukang, Wetlands International - China Programme, lilukang@public3.bta.net.cn

The Korla Declaration, 2001

Exceptional scenes of the field trip

Gernant Magnin, WWF's Living Waters Campaign

Doug Watkins, Wetlands International - Asia Pacific

Mr Zhang Li, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Ms Esther Blom, IUCN - Netherlands Committee

Faizal Parish, Global Environment Centre

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ). Posted 26 June 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.