The Ramsar Photo Gallery

Former Staff of the Ramsar Convention Bureau

Carlos Villalba

Data Management Officer

Spain; seconded by the Government of Spain, September 2001-December 2004

Biologist, with a strong background in biodiversity conservation, natural resources management, and information systems. From April 2000 to May 2001, he was working in Hungary as Long Term Pre-Accession Adviser (PHARE-Twinning Programme) assisting the Hungarian Government with the establishment of biodiversity information systems, in particular the Natura 2000 network in implementation of the EC Birds and Habitats Directives, as part of their preparations for accession to the European Union.

Based in Gland (Switzerland) from September 2001 to December 2003, his main tasks during 2002 were helping the Ramsar Secretariat to develop the technical programme for Ramsar's COP8 - including design and development of a COP8 National Reports Database and analysis of COP8 National Reports - and to run the COP itself (Valencia, Spain, November 2002). Part of his time he also worked with the MedWet Coordination Unit in the development of the technical programme of the MedWet Initiative, and he will represent the Ramsar Bureau in the MedWet Inventory Working Group..

During 2003, his work was related to COP8-follow up, the design of COP9 National Planning Tool - National Report Format and the development of Ramsar COP9 National Planning Tool - National Reports Database System, and the preparation of COP8 Country Summary Implementation Reports based on the information in COP8 National Reports Database. There were also several outputs for MedWet like the "Ramsar Implementation Report for MedWet Countries", presented at MedWet/COM5 (Izmir, June 2003), the preparation of COP8 National Reports Database for MedWet Countries, and the "Report on Ramsar sites in MedWet Countries". 

Carlos with Inga Racinska, during the visit to Bled Castle after the 4th Ramsar European regional meeting, Bled, Slovenia, 13-18 October 2001

Group photo at the 4^th European Regional Meeting on the Ramsar Convention, Bled, Slovenia, 13-18 October 2001

In Valencia during a workshop on "conflicts between water allocations and the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands", 29-30 Nov 2001, organized by Fundación Marcelino Botin and SEHUMED (Sede para el Estudio de los Humedales Mediterraneos) with - left to right - Maryland Morant and Maria Jose Viñals (SEHUMED), Magdalena Bernues (Spanish Ministry for Environment), Mohamed El Ayadi (SEHUMED), and Joan Mayol Serra (Government of the Balearic Islands, Biodiversity Department).

MedWet Inventory Group Meeting at the Portuguese Wetland Centre, on the occasion of the Regional training course on the use of the MedWet inventories methodologies within the MedWetCoast project (Lisboa, Portugal - 18 -23 February 2002).

Hispanophones gather. José Ramón Picatoste (Spain), Carlos Villalba (Ramsar), Jesus Serrada (Spain), and Delmar Blasco (Ramsar) during Reception at the Meeting of the Standing Committee Subgroups on COP8 and Finance Gland, Switzerland, 15 - 17 May 2002.

With, from left to right, Annette Keller (Ramsar Bureau), Karen Jenderedjian (Armenia), Sergey Dereliev (Ramsar Bureau). Reception at the Meeting of the Standing Committee Subgroups on COP8 and Finance, Gland, Switzerland, 15 - 17 May 2002.

At the Technical Station of the Plenary Hall. Ramsar COP8 (Valencia, Spain, 18-26 November 2002)

Ramsar COP8 (Valencia, Spain, 18-26 November 2002) is over!!.
Group photo of Ramsar-MedWet staff

With Miguel Aymerich (Spain) and Montse Riera (Ramsar Bureau) during the Gala Dinner of the 29^th Meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee Gland, Switzerland, 26-28 February 2003.

Group photo. 11^th Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, Gland, Switzerland, 8-11 April 2003

Presentation of the report "Implementation of the Ramsar Convention in MedWet Countries.
Fifth Meeting of the MedWet Committee. Izmir, Turkey, 12-15 June 2003

Group photo. Fifth Meeting of the MedWet Committee. Izmir, Turkey, 12-15 June 2003

Left: Esther and Tomas (Carlos' family). Right: Ibrahim Shaame (Ramsar Bureau) at Delmar's farewell. 30 July 2003.

Anada's farewell. August 2003.
Right, Carlos and Esther's son: Tomas, born in Nyon, August 2002, during Carlos' secondment in the Ramsar Bureau.

For further information, 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 October 2001, updated 29 January 2004, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.