Recommendations of the Montreux Conference

Recommendation 4.4 on Establishment of wetland reserves

4th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties
Montreux, Switzerland
27 June-4 July 1990

Recommendation 4.4: Establishment of wetland reserves

RECALLING Article 4.1 of the Convention which provides that "Each Contracting Party shall promote the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl by establishing nature reserves on wetlands, whether they are included in the List or not, and provide adequately for their wardening";

RECOGNISING the value of establishing nature reserves at wetlands of diverse types and sizes;

FURTHER RECOGNISING the particular value of reserves in promoting conservation education and public awareness of the importance of wetland conservation and the goals of the Convention;

ACKNOWLEDGING the role of national wetland inventories in aiding the identification of sites in need of protection;

NOTING the necessity of an adequate legal framework for the definition, establishment and protection of nature reserves;

STRESSING the vital importance of developing and implementing integrated management plans;

AWARE that the IVth World Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas will be held in Venezuela in February 1992;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

RECOMMENDS that Contracting Parties establish in their territory national networks of nature reserves covering both listed and non-listed wetlands;

FURTHER RECOMMENDS that Contracting Parties develop conservation education programmes linked to the establishment of such networks;

URGES Contracting Parties to compile national inventories detailing the location and values of wetlands;

SUGGESTS that Contracting Parties review their legal mechanisms to ensure that there are adequate measures for the establishment and effective protection of wetland nature reserves; and

CALLS UPON the Contracting Parties to participate actively in the IVth World Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas, and the Bureau to provide information and assistance to the organizers as may be requested, to ensure that adequate attention is given to wetland-related issues.

For further information on the Ramsar Convention or the Montreux Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, 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 February 1997, updated 4 March 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.