The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

26th Meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee -- Agenda papers

1. In spite of the fact that the Bureau took note of the concerns expressed by some Standing Committee members about the format of the Bureau Work Plan, the pressures on the Bureau staff have not permitted them to consider changing the format. Thus, this draft is divided, again, into two sections: Section I contains the Bureau’s Global and Regional Policy and Technical Work Plan, and Section II the General Administration Work Plan.

2. A major part of the Bureau’s work during 2002 will be focused on preparations for COP8, both substantive and logistical. This will be the a high priority area of activity for all Bureau staff during 2002. Many of the other activities in the Bureau’s Work Plan are ongoing and thus are largely unchanged from those presented in the 2001 Bureau Work Plan (although it is recognized that the extent to which some can be implemented will be limited owing to the focus on COP8).

3. The 25th meeting of the Standing Committee requested that the Bureau also prepare an ‘achievement report’ on its implementation of the 2001 Bureau Work Plan. This has been included as an Annex to the Report of the Secretary General (DOC. SC26-2 Annex IV), since further detail on implementation of parts of the Bureau Work Plan 2001 is provided in that report.

Draft Ramsar Bureau Work Plan 2002

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, Communications Assistant; and Sandra Hails, Senior Communications Assistant (provided that resource are available to keep her under contract in 2002).

3. In addition, assistance in the work during 2002 in preparing for COP8 will be provided by the Bureau’s Technical Officer for COP8, Carlos Villalba, who has been seconded to work with the DSG through the generous support of the Government of Spain. The Technical Officer will also work for part of the time in 2002 with the MedWet Coordination Unit in order to provide technical support in MedWet’s preparations for COP8.

4. Global actions in 2002 will concentrate mainly on the following priorities:

a) the preparations for, and running of, COP8, including:
finalization and circulation of COP8 papers;
organization of the remaining subregional preparatory meetings;
handling, analysis, and publication on the Web of National Reports from Contracting Parties; and
organization and administration of the COP;

b) the preparatory process and participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, September 2002);

c) continuing development of 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. Synergies will include further development and implementation of joint work plans and actions between Ramsar and other environment-related conventions and contribution to their Conferences of Parties and other meetings - noting that most such conventions are holding a COP during 2002. 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;

d) continuing engagement in a more wide-ranging dialogue with the development assistance community, so as to generate more funds for wetland-related projects in developing countries and countries in transition; and in particular to promote the Ramsar Trust Fund [if the propsoal is approved by the Standing Committee];

e) further development of the Convention’s Outreach programme through the provision of additional guidance, materials and information networks for its implementation by Contracting Parties;

f) use of the celebration of World Wetlands Day 2002 as a tool to expand the outreach work of the Bureau and to increase the awareness of the cultural values of wetland and the visibility of the Convention, as a means of contributing to sustainable development around the world and heightened understanding of the culture and wetlands theme of COP8;

g) finalization of draft technical and policy documents for submission to the May 2002 meeting of the Standing Committee’s Subgroup on COP8 in preparation for COP8; and

h) assistance to the Regional Coordinators in their efforts to encourage and support Contracting Parties, in particular in relation to:

i) delivering on their pledges at COP7 regarding 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) reception and analysis of National Reports to COP8.

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

Regional Coordinator: Anada Tiega
Intern for Africa: Simon Rafanomezantsoa

6. 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 four 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, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, The Gambia, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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 organizations such as river or lake basin commissions and other organizations, some subregional institutions, FAO, UNEP, the bilateral and multilateral donors and the International Organization Partners (IOP) of the Convention.

Institutional arrangements in Africa

11. 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 strength and capacity of these institutions in terms of their set-up, staff expertise, 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 encourage and support the creation of appropriate national mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention - especially the formation and training of National Wetlands/Ramsar Committees in every country.

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

13. 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.

14. The actions described under this column of the Work Plan are to be undertaken mostly by the Regional Coordinator for the Americas and the Intern/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

15. The Americas region in the Bureau’s work includes two of the Ramsar Regions (the Neotropics and North America), involving the following twenty-five Contracting Parties: Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

16. In addition, there are in the region a number of dependent territories of France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique); the Netherlands (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles Federation); the UK (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos); and the USA (Virgin Islands), which require involving those Contracting Parties.

17. There are a further ten mainland and Caribbean Island States which are not yet Parties to the Convention: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

18. Overall, Canada and the USA are well advanced in their implementation of the Convention, while in general the developing nations in the region still require substantial assistance and advice for the effective implementation of the treaty. Capacity building is a priority, in particular for the newest Parties to the Convention, such as Belize, Colombia, Cuba, and El Salvador.

19. Ten of the Caribbean Island States have not yet joined the Ramsar Convention despite the efforts made jointly by Trinidad and Tobago and the Ramsar Bureau. There are complex reasons for this, but essentially they come down to 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. Several of the countries feel that they would have difficulties selecting their first Ramsar site, and therefore they make no effort to initiate the process.

20. It is encouraging that there are several countries seriously considering or working towards becoming CPs, notably the Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia.

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

Regional Coordinator: Najam Khurshid
Intern for Asia: Jia Ma (from November 2001)

22. 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.

23. Increasing membership in the Convention remains a high priority for the Asia region. During 2001 substantial progress was made in Central Asia, with the accession of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and completing accessions in this region remains a priority. Elsewhere, Lao P.D.R. has shown keen interest to join the Convention. Membership remains weak among the states of the Middle East, but it is anticipated that, encouraged by the participation of several non-Parties in the 2001 Evian Encounter for Arabic-speaking countries, and the holding of a Ramsar subregional meeting in Saudi Arabia in March 2002, some accessions will be made in 2002. There remains a need to increase understanding of the obligations and benefits of membership and the critical importance of wetlands in arid zones, as well as the new tools and approaches that the Convention has developed and continues to develop.

24. New site designation remains a high priority for the region. Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, 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 known to be working to designate more Ramsar sites.

25. In some CPs, frequent changes of agency/department as the designated 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 subregional 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.

26. Related to this problem, 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.

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

Regional Coordinator: Tobias Salathé
Intern for Europe: Sergey Dereliev(from November 2001)

28. The European Region of the Ramsar Convention comprises 44 Contracting Parties that have together declared 682 Ramsar Sites (as of 21 September 2001), out of which 29 figure on the Montreux Record and many more are threatened by possible or ongoing ecological change. Andorra is in the process of accession to the Convention and Bosnia & Herzegovina has recently formalized its succession, which will make European membership in the Convention nearly complete (excluding the micro-states Holy See and San Marino).

29. European countries often experience 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.

30. 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.

31. Increased solidarity between the rich countries with highly developed wetland conservation, management and restoration capacities and the poorer European countries in economic transition with needs for technology transfer and institutional capacity-building is a high priority at the beginning of the 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 than ever before, on the active technical and financial support from and collaboration with the more developed western European countries.

32. 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.

33. As the region with by far the largest number of Ramsar sites (although not 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 2002. 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.

34. The development of the third Ramsar pillar: increased international cooperation, so far often neglected or only supported half-heartedly in the region, remains a priority for 2002. As such, 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.

35. 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 2002. The year leading to COP8 willbe forward-looking, using the baseline resulting from the Regional Meeting in October 2001 in Slovenia, for the development of a modern Ramsar Strategy 2003-2008 and an Action Plan that stands up to its expectations.

36. 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 undertaken mostly by the Deputy Secretary General, with some administrative assistance from the Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Asia, and working with Wetlands International - Oceania office based in Canberra and others supported by the Australian Government. It is recognised, however, that these arrangements continue to limit the capacity of the Bureau to progress accessions and support implementation of the Convention in the region.

37. 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, have been approaching accession for some time now, but have yet to complete the process. 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 have already 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.

38. With the very heavy workload occasioned by an increasing number of Contracting Parties in the Asia region, it is proposed that for 2002 the responsibility for the Oceania region will continue to be undertaken chiefly by the Deputy Secretary General, with some administrative assistance provided by the Intern for Asia. This will, however, need to be kept under review during 2002 and, especially if the number of Contracting Parties in the region increases, obtaining resources for an intern for Pacific Small Island Developing States in the Bureau would become a priority.

39. Within this region, Australia and New Zealand are well advanced in their implementation of the Convention. Therefore, the priority will continue 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 largely on an ‘as requested’ only basis.

40. However, the Bureau will continue to need to raise matters concerning Article 3.2 of the Convention on change in the ecological character of Ramsar sites when these are brought to its attention.

41. 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 Coordination Unit, established in Athens in mid-2001 with financial support from the Government of Greece..

42. The work of the MedWet Unit is supported by three wetland centres:

The Greek Biotope / Wetland Centre (EKBY), Thessaloniki (Greece), which assists the MedWet Coordination Unit 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 network of MedWet National Units is been promoted in North Africa, with one of them acting as lead in MedWet on rotating basis.

43. 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 all 25 Ramsar Contracting Parties in the region and the Palestinian Authority, four intergovernmental bodies (European Commission, UNDP, Barcelona and Bern Conventions), and seven non-governmental organizations and wetland centres.

44. 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.

45. 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 20th 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.

46. 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.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. For the coming year, the MedWet priority sectors will continue to include wetland inventory (through the further development of the MedWet Inventory Database system), 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 recent months, the site has received an average of 1,400 – 1,700 user sessions per day from 144 nations, with more than 170,000 Web pages viewed per month, and as of November 2001 the Ramsar site (formerly hosted by IUCN’s Web site, but independent for the past 18 months) has grown to nearly 5,800 documents and images. In addition, there are several e-mail groups operating effectively (Ramsar Forum, Ramsar Exchange, STRP and STRP national focal points, Standing Committee, CEPA focal points). 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.

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.

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.

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.

5.3.1 Ensure that the maps and descriptions of Ramsar sites submitted to the Ramsar Sites Database by the Contracting Parties at the time of designation are complete, in the approved standard format of the Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands, and provide sufficient detail to be used for management planning and monitoring of ecological character. [CPs, Bureau, Wetlands International]