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Wetland conservation workshop in Myanmar

The Workshop on Wetland Conservation in Myanmar (Burma) was held at the Taw Win Convention Hall at the Forest Department, Yangon, Myanmar from 20 to 23 February 2001.

Jointly sponsored by the Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry, Myanmar, and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, the workshop’s purpose was to discuss the current status on wetland management and conservation in the Union of Myanmar, and to recommend future actions on management, conservation and wise use of wetlands.

Photo: The Bureau's Najam Khurshid draws attention to the Ramsar Handbooks on the Wise Use of Wetlands

Thirty participants from government departments, NGO and private sectors in Myanmar, including the Forest Department, the General Administration Department, the Department of Fishery, the Irrigation Department, Wildlife Conservation Society, National Convention and Environmental Association, Watt Travel Co., and SST Tourism Co.; and eight international participants from the Ministry of the Environment (Japan), the Ramsar Convention secretariat, Mahidol University (Thailand), Aonyx Environmental (Malaysia), Wetlands International Asia-Pacific, Royal Society for Protection of Birds (UK), and Wild Bird Society of Japan participated in the sessions. Recommendations were made during the group and plenary discussions on 21 and 23 February 2001.

Recommendations adopted by the meeting covered the following subjects

• drafting of a National Wetland Action Plan for Myanmar, to be ready by the time of Ramsar COP8;
• formation of a National Wetland Committee involving all relevant government departments; NGOs, universities and other stakeholders may also be invited;
• formation of a scientific advisory board to the National Wetland Committee, to be composed from government departments, NGOs, and universities;
• preparation of documents for ratification of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands;
• discussion on nomination of sites for the Anatidae and/or Shorebird flyway networks of the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy;
• establishing of more protected areas to cover all wetland types in Myanmar;
• preparation of a nationwide awareness campaign for World Wetlands Day 2002;
• developing of a Wetland Training Unit within the Forest Department;
• conservation of wetlands through monasteries;
• cooperation, especially on training and awareness, with NGOs.

Après-workshop: (back row) Ms Naoko Nakijima (Ministry of Environment, Japan), Najam Khurshid, BirdLife's John O'Sullivan (with the horns on), Lee Zuowel; (front row) Dr Jonathan Davies, Simba Chan, Dr Sananee Choowaew (Thailand), Anthony Conrad Sebastian

Field excursion to the Moyingyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary

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 19 March 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.