The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards

Call for Nominations 2024: Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards and Evian Special Prize by Danone

The Convention on Wetlands announces a call for nominations for the ninth edition of the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards and Evian Special Prize by Danone.

Award recipients will each receive the Evian Special Prize of USD 10,000 provided by Danone.

The Award categories: 

1. The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for Innovation: recognizing a person, project, programme, or policy that has contributed to the conservation and wise use of wetlands through an innovative technique or approach.
2. The Ramsar Convention Award for Young Wetland Champions: recognizing an individual or group of young people aged between 18 and 30 years for contributions to the conservation, wise use, and restoration of wetlands. 
3. The Ramsar Wetland Indigenous Peoples Conservation and Wise Use Award: recognizing groups or individuals for outstanding leadership and transformative projects led by or involving indigenous peoples.

The deadline for submitting nominations is 30 September 2024.  Nominations received after the deadline will not be considered. Nominations can be submitted by completing the nomination form.

Why nominate?

Nominating deserving individuals or organizations highlights the crucial work being done to conserve the planet’s wetlands. These ecosystems are vital for water, biodiversity, climate regulation, and human well-being.

The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards celebrate and recognize those making significant contributions to hopefully inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Award recipients share their stories with a global audience.

How to nominate

Individuals and groups, of all nations, are invited to submit nominations. Individuals and organizations of any nation or region can be nominated, including; Non-governmental organizations (NGOs); Government agencies; community groups ; academic and research institutions; private sector entities

Nominations can be submitted online by completing the nomination form. 

The nomination process involves providing information about the nominee’s work, including:

• A summary explaining the nominee’s contributions to wetland conservation and corresponding to the category of the Award.  
• Recommendation letters from two individuals who can assess the nominee’s contributions.
• Supporting documents or testimonials such as reports, photos or videos.

The selection of award recipients will be based on the satisfaction of several of the following criteria:

• A proven and documented record of achievement and success in the relevant category.
• A direct link between activities and the implementation of the Convention on Wetlands through the wise use of wetlands including the network of Wetlands of International Importance, whether locally, sub-nationally, nationally, regionally or globally. 
• The approaches, outcomes, or capacity to be replicated of activities, to inspire others or to serve as practical examples for others. 
• The significance of achievements, regardless of the geographic scale of their impact. 
• The demonstrable impact of activities on awareness of wetlands and their values and the services they provide; and 
• The clarity with which the nomination is presented, and the activities and achievements described.

Each Award category has specific eligibility criteria that all nominators should review.

Nominees must be alive at the time of nominations. The Award will not be given posthumously. Self-nominations are not accepted. Current members or invited experts of subsidiary bodies of the Convention such as the Standing Committee, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel or Secretariat staff members will not be accepted.

Established in 1996, the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards celebrate and recognize individuals and organizations for contributions towards promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.