What is the Wetlands Convention?
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also known as "Ramsar" from the location of its negotiation in Iran in 1971, is a treaty ratified by over 120 nations as theframework for cooperation to stem the global loss of wetlands and ensure their conservation.
Why conserve wetlands?
Wetlands are among the world's most productive environments, providing tremendous economic and social benefits to mankind through:1. Fishery production.
2. Timber production.
3. Maintenance of water tables for agriculture; water storage; flood control; and shoreline stabilization.
4. Waste disposal and water purification.
5. Recreational opportunities.
Wetlands provide critical habitat for countless birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other fauna and flora threatened by extinction.Over two-thirds of the world's fish harvest is linked to the health of wetlands, which can produce eight times the plant matter of wheat-fields. A third of the birds which migrate to the U.S. winter in wetlands south of our border.
How can an international treaty help save wetlands?
Wetlands are among the world's most threatened habitats, as a result mainly of drainage, land reclamation, pollution, and over-exploitation of wetland species. Human impacts on streams and rivers affect wetlands in other countries which depend on the quality and quantity of their water supply. Transboundary air and water pollution seriously degrade wetlands; and species that migrate internationally require cooperative management. Thus, wetlands conservation is a matter of international concern requiring international action.
What are Ramsar's obligations?
Member nations commit themselves to work individually and together to:
1. Include wetland conservation in land-use planning, promoting wise use of wetlands in their territory. Significantly, "wise use" has been interpreted to mean maintaining wetland ecology.
2. Designate wetlands of international importance, under specific criteria, and report any changes to their ecological character.
3. Promote conservation of wetlands, whether designated or not, through the establishment of nature reserves.
What has the Wetlands Convention done?
The Wetlands Convention has had important results:1. Commitment by over 120 nations to its obligations.
2. Designation of over 1,025 sites as "Wetlands of International Importance" covering nearly 200,000,000 acres (80,000,000 hectares).
3. Establishment of a Bureau, budget and work program, financed by member nations. The Bureau is a clearing-house for linking developing country wetland projects with funding sources.
4. Developing criteria for designation and guidelines for wise use.
5. Implementation of procedures for monitoring wetland ecological character and action to prevent degradation and mitigate changes.
6. Development of regional wetlands inventories.
7. Specific action to prevent degradation of sites in several countries: e.g. reversing orders to drain a marsh in Italy; ending commercial fisheries in a Pakistan lake; rejection of plans to sink an oil tanker near a UK site; and abandoning of plans to extend a superhighway along the Rhine in Germany.
8. Important leverage for effective national wetlands policies and stimulating international cooperation to protect vital sites.
What are Ramsar's needs?
In addition to the funding assessed on its member nations, the Wetlands Convention needs substantial funding for: action to save wetlands; research; data collection, analysis and utilization; training; publicity; contacts with development agencies; and assistance to restoration and conservation of wetlands in developing countries. Grants and donations can be made directly to the Convention, or through the Conservation Treaty Support Fund.A current major project concerns Developing Guidelines and Strategies for Involving Local Communities and Indigenous People in the Management of Wetlands, about which very little guidance has been available up to now. The project can also serve as a model for developing similar guidelines for other international environmental treaties and organizations.
