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Wetland training course set for European former-Soviet states

Training Course on Wetland Management for Wetland Conservationists from the New Independent States of European Region

9-23 September 2001, Sevan, Armenia

Course objectives

The organizers aims on the following main objective:

• to provide participants with the important knowledge and skills necessary for wetland management,

which include:

• to apply selected monitoring techniques;
• to determine the values and problems of wetlands;
• to make a stakeholder analysis;
• to assess management objectives and translate them into practical measures,
• to prepare wetland management plan.

Additional goal of the course is to provide participants basic skills on computer technique.

And the last but not the least: to know and understand each other better than before.

People concerned from Armenia, Byelorussia, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine: staff of central and regional state environmental bodies, nature reserves, NGOs, research institutes and universities, international organizations, business: total 19 participants.

Course content

• Introduction to wetlands: the diversity of wetlands and the differences between them; Ramsar and other international conventions; the Ramsar classification system.

• Basic ecology: influence of different abiotic factors on flora and fauna and vice versa; the concept "ecosystem"; "succession" and other ecological processes; population dynamics: "minimum viable population", "maximum harvestable population", "carrying capacity"; concepts "key process", "key species".
• Inventory and monitoring: familiarity with the most important wetland flora and fauna species; the importance of systematic inventory and monitoring; selected inventory and monitoring techniques
• Wetlands values and functions: the ecological values of wetlands, especially as waterfowl habitat and spawning site for fish; the socio-economic values of wetlands; where and when ecological and socio-economic values conflict.
• Stakeholders involvement: the importance of stakeholder analysis and involvement; ways to involve different stakeholders.
• Limiting factors: the legal environment in which wetland management operates; other limiting factors, like traditions; identification of legal limitations and opportunities to management of specific sites.
• Management objectives: the importance of formulating ideal (long term) objectives for wetland management; translation of ideal objectives into operational objectives.
• Management measures: the different types of available management measures; choose of relevant realistic measures for a specific site; basic skills on management planning; the possibilities and limitations of environmental inspection.

The course language is Russian. The training will include lectures and seminars, presentations by participants on their ’own’ wetlands, excursions, meeting with stakeholders, as well as different cultural events.

The course is organized by the Professional and Entrepreneurial Orientation Union (briefly Orientation) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia. Orientation is non-governmental, not-profit organization aimed on research and training in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The Orientation already has experience of organization of First (11-23 October 1999, Sevan, Armenia) and Second (9-21 October 2000, Sevan, Armenia) National Courses on Wetland Management.

The lecturing staff includes leading experts in wetland conservation from Armenia, The Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine.

The "House of Writers Creation" on Sevan Peninsula: rooms with electricity, heating, cold and warm water for the whole day and a spacey classroom with a magnificent view on Lake Sevan.

The full cost of the course, including travel, teaching, excursions, lodging and meals, will be covered by the Orientation from the Ramsar SGF 2000 project "Regional training course on wetland management for technical staff of wetland conservation and management institutions in the new independent states of the European Region". Additional financial support is provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands through the Royal Dutch Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine.

-- contributed by Karen Jenderedjian ( jender@arminco.com )

Picture 1. View on Lake Sevan from the "House of Writers Creation", course venue

Picture 2. Lake Lichk

Picture 3. Noradus Fish Ponds

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 ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 6 September 2001, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.