From the Ramsar Forum

WWF position on Johannesburg summit and Ramsar

(posted to the Ramsar Forum, 22 August 2002)

From: Jamie Pittock [JPittock@wwf.nl]
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 11:46 AM
To: ramsar-forum@indaba.iucn.org

Subject: [Ramsar Forum] WWF's World Summit Ramsar briefing paper

Dear Ramsar Forum members,

Attached below in English (Spanish and French are versions at: www.panda.org/livingwaters/wssd_spotlight) is WWF's briefing paper on the importance of enhancing the mandate and funding for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which begins in Johannesburg on Monday 26/8.

WWF asks national government officers who receive this e-mail to pass it onto your government's World Summit delegation (usually lead by your first minister or foreign affairs department) with your agency's endorsement.

In WWF's view, the Convention has been undervalued in the Summit's draft Plan of Implementation text and deserves equal recognition to such treaties as the Convention to Combat Desertification.

WWF is particularly concerned that the historical position of this particularly effective Convention outside the UN environment treaty system means that an effective tool for sustainable wetland management has not been fully included in multilateral coordination and funding mechanisms.

WWF appreciates your efforts to help rectify this anomaly.

Jamie Pittock

ENHANCING THE MANDATE AND FUNDING FOR THE CONVENTION ON WETLANDS (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)

What does WWF want?

We want agreement at the World Summit for an enhanced mandate and resources for the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar 1971) as the leading international instrument for the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems and other wetlands. Such agreement should clearly acknowledge, and focus on, the ecological functions of wetlands and their vital role in providing water of appropriate quantity and quality for people and nature.

The Convention should be mandated to have a formal advisory role in key funding and policy-making institutions, such as the GEF Council, the UNDP Executive Board, UNEP's Global Ministerial Environmental Forum, and the Subcommittee on Water of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

Why should the Ramsar Convention be singled out?

As other Conventions have been specifically singled out in the Summit's draft texts, the mandate and funding for the Convention on Wetlands should also be enhanced as:

• Sustainable management of freshwater for people and nature is one of the major issues to be discussed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development;
• The Convention on Wetlands' mission includes the key concept of "wise use" (equivalent to "sustainable use") of freshwater and coastal ecosystems, through national action and international cooperation;
• The world community should make more efficient use of its existing institutions to manage freshwater sustainably rather than losing time and resources in establishing new institutions;
• It has a global membership of 133 contracting parties (at July 2002);
• In addition, the Convention has actively engaged government, non-government and multilateral agencies in partnerships to enhance cooperation and joint work;
• In its 31 years, the Convention has a track record of achievement, including the listing of 1180 important wetlands covering 103 million hectares for management as Ramsar sites (at July 2002);
• Its modest budget of just USD 1.8 million per year (2001/02) is much less than similar Conventions and has been spent most efficiently;
• The Convention is most accountable, being rigorously managed by the contracting parties with its operations and results being transparently displayed on its website (www.ramsar.org)
• Countries with sites listed under the Convention have a framework in which to further their sustainable development goals, balance conservation needs and address poverty alleviation.

What is the Convention on Wetlands?

The Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world".

Ramsar is the only global environmental treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, and came into force in 1975. As of July 2002, 133 states are Contracting Parties and many others are poised to join.

The basic concepts:

In the treaty, "wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters".

Wetlands have fundamental ecological functions, as regulators of water quality and quantity for people and nature, and as habitats supporting a rich biodiversity. Wetlands constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value that must be maintained.

Wetlands should be conserved by ensuring their "wise use", a term established before but equivalent to "sustainable development". It is defined by the Convention as "sustainable utilization for the benefit of mankind in a way compatible with the maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem". Sustainable utilization is understood as "human use of a wetland so that it may yield the greatest continuous benefit to present generations while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations".

Contracting Parties commit themselves to:

• Manage all wetlands sustainably, including wetland conservation within their national land-use planning, so as to promote the wise use of all wetlands within their territory.
• Consult with other Parties about the implementation of the Convention, especially with regard to transfrontier wetlands, shared water systems, shared species, and development projects affecting wetlands.
• Designate at least one wetland that meets the Ramsar criteria for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List). Countries are expected to include in the List as many wetlands that meet the criteria as possible. Listed sites do not necessarily require protected area status, provided their ecological character is maintained through a wise use management approach.

The Convention at work:

The Conference of the Contracting Parties meets every three years. The Conference has adopted a Strategic Plan 1997-2002 to guide the implementation of the Convention. Parties report on its application at each session of the Conference. A second Strategic Plan 2003-2008 has been drafted for consideration at Ramsar COP8 in November 2002 (that will incorporate the WSSD results relevant to the Convention). The Standing Committee and Scientific and Technical Review Panel provide guidance on key issues related to the application of the Convention. The Ramsar Bureau (secretariat), located in Gland, Switzerland, coordinates the day-to-day activities of the Convention.

The Convention works closely with other environment-related conventions and institutions. It has a Joint Work Plan with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Memoranda of Cooperation with the Conventions on Desertification, Migratory Species, and World Heritage. The Bureau also works with funding institutions such as the World Bank and the GEF. The participation of NGOs and interest groups is also actively encouraged, including through many formal partnerships.

The Convention has published a series of nine Ramsar Handbooks ('the toolkit') presenting the guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties over the years in the areas of: wise use of wetlands; national wetland policies; laws and institutions; wetlands and river basin management; community participation; education and public awareness; development of the Ramsar List; management planning; and international cooperation.

This briefing paper has been prepared by WWF and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decisions of the Convention on Wetlands and its subsidiary bodies.

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Pittock, Tel: +31 62 909 1841 (mobile)
Chris Tydeman, Tel: +44 7900 241169 (mobile)

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This message was sent to you at: dwight.peck@bluewin.ch

To join the Ramsar Forum, send a blank message to ramsar-forum-join@indaba.iucn.org.   For more information on the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 23 August 2002, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.