France launches its second wetlands national action plan

The day before World Wetlands Day 2010, Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Ecology, presented France’s new wetlands action plan for 2010-2012. This document follows the 1995-2000 plan and is based on a review compiled by the Ramsar Administrative Authority on wetland policies implemented during the past 15 years. It is the result of a one-year collaboration by the national wetlands committee. Supported by a budget of 20 million Euros, it includes 29 actions grouped into 4 axes – development and harmonization of relevant public policies in the fields of agriculture and urbanism, improvement of wetland knowledge, training and awareness on the importance of wetlands for the general public and specific wetland stakeholders, and enhancing the visibility of French wetlands on the international scale. According to this plan, a national park focusing on wetlands will be created. In addition, a new wetland web portal has been launched.

Members of the national wetland committee as well as several local stakeholders and for the Ramsar Secretariat, Alexia Dufour, attended the event which took place on the outstanding Ramsar site “Basses vallées angevines”. The participants also visited a farm specializing in cattle farming using management methods enabling the preservation of the site.