RAMSAR SITES
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat - commonly referred to as the Ramsar Convention from its place of adoption in Iran in 1971 - was the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties on conservation and wise use of natural resources.
The mission of the Ramsar Convention is "the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world".
The Convention provides a framework for international cooperation and was established following concern in the 1960s about the serious decline in populations of waterfowl (mainly ducks). It came into force in 1975 and currently has 100 contracting parties, which are obliged to undertake the following four main activities:
- To designate wetlands for inclusion in the "List of Wetlands of International Importance" and to maintain their ecological character.
- To develop national wetland policies, to include wetland conservation considerations within their national land use planning, to develop integrated catchment management plans and, in particular, to adopt and apply the guidelines for implementation of the "wise use concept". This concept advocates the sustainable utilisation of wetlands for the benefit of mankind in a way that is compatible with the maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem.
- To promote the conservation of wetlands in their territory through establishment of nature reserves and to promote training in wetland research, management and wardening .
- To consult with other contracting parties about transfrontier wetlands, shared water systems, shared species and development aid for wetland projects.
In this way the Convention plays an important role in helping to prevent detrimental changes to wetland sites in states that are party to the Convention. Technical support on wetland conservation is provided to the Convention from organisations such as the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) and Wetlands International (a new body formed from the International Waterfowl and Wetland Research Bureau, the Asian Wetland Bureau and Wetlands for the Americas). Notable successes includes the following:
- Prevention of agricultural development of habitat for Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in the Hortobagy Ramsar site, Hungary (1985)
- The Azraq Oasis in Jordan benefited from being placed on the Montreux Record (a list of sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur), the consequent study of threats to the wetland, recommended solutions and resulting funds obtained from the Global Environment Facility (1990)
- Rejection of development proposals which would have had a harmful effect on the Swale Estuary Ramsar site in the UK (1992)
- Rejection of plans to build an intensive piggery in the catchment of Lake Cundare and the closure of a refuse tip adjacent to Lake Beeac in Victoria, Australia (1993)
The Ramsar Convention is thus vitally important in the conservation of the world's wetlands.
For more information visit http://www.ramsar.org
The following RAMSAR sites can be viewed:
