The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties

COP9 Technical Sessions

The role of wisely managing wetlands in alleviating poverty and promoting human well-being

Saturday, 12 November 2005
Kampala, Uganda

Introduction

The Technical Sessions during Ramsar COPs are designed to permit more in-depth presentation and discussion of some of the key scientific and technical issues and topics being discussed during the COP. The Technical Sessions are not formal plenary sittings of the COP. However, the conclusions and recommendations of the Technical Session will be reported back to COP plenary, under Agenda item XVIII on Monday, 14 November.

There are two half-day Technical Sessions during COP9, each offering the opportunity for delegates to hear short presentations discussing in more detail aspects and lessons learned from implementing the wise use of wetlands in relation their role in alleviating poverty and promoting human well-being: a morning session on wise use and integrated water management, and an afternoon session on culture and knowledge in wetland management. Overall, these sessions will help inform discussion on a number of draft Resolutions being considered by COP9.

Starting the day will be a short special presentation on the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) and the relevance and importance of these findings for the future implementation of the Ramsar Convention. As part of its work for key environmental convention users, the MA has prepared a special synthesis report for the Ramsar Convention ("Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Wetlands and Water"), and copies of this report may be available to delegates. In addition, the Ramsar STRP has prepared a set of key messages for Ramsar derived from the MA findings on wetlands and water, and this will be available at COP9. The work and results of the MA have relevance to, and have contributed to, the materials being considered for adoption in COP9 DR1 Annexes A and B.

In addition, the Convention's International Organization Partners (IOPs) are holding two side events (on Wednesday, 9 November, and Thursday, 10 November in the Plenary Hall) on additional aspects of wetlands and human-well being, focusing on priorities for wetland knowledge and wetlands and poverty reduction. Conclusions and recommendations from these side events will be available for consideration in the Technical Sessions.

The Technical Session day concludes with a one-hour special session for discussion of a draft 'Kampala Declaration' prepared by Uganda. During the day this document will also be discussed concurrently to the Technical Sessions in an informal Ministerial Dialogue organized by the government of Uganda. Participants in this session will also attend the presentation on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

Technical Sessions programme

10:00 - 10:15 Special statement: The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and its results relating to the Ramsar Convention - Rebecca D'Cruz (MA Wetland Synthesis Report Co-lead)

This presentation will focus on the critical need to maintain wetland ecosystems and their full range of services (provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting) as the essential mechanism for securing future poverty reduction and human well-being, in the face of unsustainable pressure on, but increasing demand for, these wetland services.

10:15 - 13:00 Technical Session 1: Applying the wise use principle in integrated water management

Chair: Sibylle Vermont (Switzerland); facilitator: Kemi Awoyinka; rapporteur: Mike Ounsted (Chair: Wetlands International's Wetlands and Livelihoods Working Group)

10:15 - 10:20 Introduction from the Chair

10:20 - 10:30 Introduction: Ramsar and water, and the implications of CSD13 for the Convention - Peter Bridgewater (Secretary General)

10:30 - 10:50 South and East African experience of managing for water and ecosystems - Steve Mitchell (South Africa Water Research Commission)

10:50 - 11:10 Wise use and adaptive management in Tokyo Bay: an integrated approach - Mamoru Shigemoto (Tokyo Bay Authority, Japan)

11:10 - 11:30 The European Union Water Framework Directive - implications and lessons for the Ramsar Convention from a regional water management framework - (tbc)

11:30 - 11:50 Managing water for wetlands and agriculture: the Comprehensive Assessment of Water and Agriculture - David Molden (International Water Management Institute)

11:50 - 12:10 Valuing wetlands for water and people: tools for informed water management decision-making - Ger Bergkamp/Lucy Emerton (IUCN)

12:10 - 12:40 Questions and discussion

12:40 - 13:00 Summary and conclusions: water, wetlands, poverty alleviation and human well-being - Kemi Awoyinka (Wetlands International)

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break

15:00 - 17:00 Technical Session 2: Culture and knowledge in wetland management

Chair: Maria Carolina Hazin (Brazil); rapporteur: Bernard Yaw Ofori-Frimpong (Ghana), assisted by Sofia Spirou (MedWet)

15:00 - 15:10 Introduction: Ramsar, cultural issues and human well-being: history and progress - Peter Bridgewater (Secretary General)

15:10 - 15:25 Action for wetland culture in the Mediterranean - Thymio Papayannis (Med-INA)

15:25 - 15:45 The role of cultural values in promoting the designation of Ramsar sites: experiences from Australia - Traditional elders from the area

15:45 - 16-00 Culture perspective in wetland management: the Thai experience - Professor Sansanee (Thailand)

16-00 - 16-15 Cultural values and the designation of Ramsar sites: the Mexican experience - [speaker tbc]

16:15 - 16:30 Methods for the cultural inventory of wetlands - Maria-José Viñals (SEHUMED, Spain)

16:30 - 16:55 Questions and discussion

16:55 - 17:00 Summary and conclusions: culture, wetlands, poverty alleviation and human well-being - Rapporteur

17:00 - 18:00 Special Session: Consideration of a draft 'Kampala Declaration'
Chair: Netherlands

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ). Posted 2 November 2005, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.