Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) workshop in Malaysia
The Malaysian government organized its first Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) workshop which took place on the 3rd of May at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Among participants were the Malaysia National Focal Point, managers from the six Ramsar Sites in the country, RIS compilers and local NGO employees.
The RSIS one day training session was prepared and facilitated by the Ramsar Secretariat IT Officer. The training was divided into modules: introduction of the RSIS, live presentation and “hands on” training involving all participants learning about the RSIS system and entering the real data.
After a live demonstration the participants worked updating data of their Ramsar Sites and were able to complete different sections in the online Ramsar Information Sheet. Overall twelve participants updated data of six Ramsar Sites.
The “face to face” training proved to be a useful platform for participants to get familiar with the system and to ask questions about functionalities. Common questions were related to drawing sites’ boundaries, uploading GIS file and completing the taxonomic list. Participants found the RSIS system clear and the “help” section on the RSIS very useful.
The workshop format as a one day training was well received. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment proved to be an adequate venue; a good internet connection is necessary for such training.