Ramsar Convention Secretariat Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland Switzerland

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – “Getting our message out”

Lew Young e-mail: young@ramsar.org

Quite simply, wetlands are ecosystems either inland or coastal that have water which can be either: •permanent or temporary; •static or flowing; •natural or artificial; •fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of coastal water that is < 6 m at low tide.

What are wetlands?

• Water related ecosystems • Natural infrastructures that play an important part in the water cycle by storing and delivering water

Wetland in the water cycle

Education, recreation Water

Biodiversity

Storm defence

Food Energy

Benefits people obtain from wetland ecosystems

Wetlands ecosystem services

Mission The conservation and wise use of wetlands through national actions, and international cooperation as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development.

Background • Adopted on 2 February, 1971; • First of the modern intergovernmental

environmental treaties

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Contracting Parties 165 worldwide

Ramsar Convention: ‘3 Implementation Pillars’

Using wetlands and their resources sustainably.

Wise Use of Wetlands

International cooperation

e.g. for shared wetlands and their resources, such as migratory species.

Designating key wetlands as Ramsar Sites, and to manage

them for conservation (< 2, 118 wordwide).

Ramsar Sites

Wetland Education Centres

Beung Kiat Ngong, Lao PDR

Hong Kong Wetland Park

Large or small, it is the ‘software’ that is importantto promote greater awareness for action to

conserve wetlands

COP11 National Reports: • 82% of Contracting Parties carried out CEPA activities • 88% organized World Wetland Day events

Wetland Education Centres

• However, 44% reported a lack of awareness about wetlands amongst decision makers

Question: Can you name three ways in which you think you are managing your wetlands well?

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CEPA Government policy

Community participation

Site management

Staff training Resource management

Monitoring and research

Others

Questionnaire to Ramsar Site managers

Question: Can you name three problems that you face in managing your wetlands?

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Questionnaire to Ramsar Site managers

Engaging the local community • Raise community awareness and gain their

support for the conservation of the site; • Ensure their involvement in site management

and monitoring; Establishing a broad-based ‘site management committee’

Assessments of management effectiveness • Not only focus on the effectiveness of

conservation, but on the benefits to the local community.

Draft and implement management plan • Local involvement • Based on traditional knowledge and science • Restoration, monitoring

Managing Ramsar Sites

Managing Ramsar Sites

Flood protection Ramsar Sites along the Indus River (Pakistan) • Fertile farmland along the floodplain; • In response to the devastating 2010

flood, now seeing how to manage the Ramsar Site to allows space for river to flood during summer monsoon

Improving local livelihood Beung Kiat Ngong (Lao PDR) •Diverse wetland habitats and species; •13 villages with some 11,500 people; •Management plan developed jointly with local people to improve their livelihood and so conserve biodiversity.

Nutrient cycling East Kolkata Wetlands (India) • Receives waste water from Kolkata’s

12 million people; • 43 villages with >4,000 families; • The 12,500 ha site has some 300 fish

ponds, rice paddies, vegetable fields to naturally treat the waste water.

Tourism Upper Navua River gorge (Fiji) • Private tour company manage the site

and organize rafting tours • A percentage of the income is used to

benefit the local community, e.g. providing health care, education etc.

Managing Ramsar Sites

Target 14: safeguarding ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods

Wetlands and biodiversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and Aichi Targets 2011-2020 Adopted at the Convention on Biodiversity Conservation’s 10th Conference of the Parties in October 2010.

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) By 2015, each Party to be implementing an effective, participatory and updated NBSAP.

The Future We Want (Rio + 20; 2012): Para. 122. …recognize the key role that ecosystems play in maintaining water quantity and quality and support actions within the respective national boundaries to protect and sustainably manage these ecosystems.

Green Economy Report (2011): Key message 5: Increase investment in water-dependent ecosystems, in water infrastructure and in water management as a way to quicken the transition to a green economy

Wetlands and sustainable development

Water demand: • Each person requires 2 to 4 litres of water per day, but it takes

2,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce one person's daily food.

Wetlands and water

• By 2050 the world's water will have to support the farming systems that will feed an extra 2 billion people.

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts yields from rain-dependent agriculture could decrease by 50% by 2020.