The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 2003: Thailand

WWD Conference and Exhibition in Phang Nga Province and a
WWD Event at the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area, Phatthalung Province

The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning organized a conference on World Wetlands Day, on 31st  January 2003 at the Pollution Control Department. Mr. Prapath Punyachadrak, Minister of National Resources and Environment chaired the opening ceremony and presented a Ramsar Site certificate for the newly designated Wetland of International Importance to the government representative of Trang, Ranong, Surat Thani and Phang Nga province.

Plodprasop Suratsavadee Ph. D, Permanent Secretary of the National Resources Environmental Ministry gave the special address on “No Wetlands-No Water” in the conference.

Dr Plodprasop Suratsavadee

The conference also included an exhibition of wetland products by local communities and exhibition boards on Ramsar sites and wetland values.

WWD at the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area, Phatthalung Province

The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP) and the Thale Noi conservation group organized activities on 2^nd February at the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area. Activities included a drawing competition with a wetland theme for students, an indigenous peoples' stage presentation and the reintroduction of fish to the wetland area by a representative of the Phatthalung provincial government.

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 17 March 2003, Sandra Hails, Ramsar.