Time to Fast-Track Restoration of Wetlands: Seven Priority Actions

A virtual panel discussion organized for World Wetlands Day 2023

WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
TIME: 09.00 –10.15 CET AND 16.00 -17.15 CET

OVERVIEW

Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, and they are recognized as the most threatened ecosystem. Latest estimates show that 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost since the 1970s, mainly due to human activities such as draining and infilling for agriculture, over-extraction of water, urban development and pollution.

OBJECTIVES OF THE VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION

The panel will discuss priority actions and the opportunities to scale and accelerate wetland restoration by 2030. Panellists will discuss wetland restoration trends and gaps and highlight current and emerging opportunities at national and international levels to scale and accelerate restoration.

The virtual event will propose seven key priority actions that key players can adopt to advance and accelerate wetland restoration within the UN Decade on Restoration that ends in 2030.

DISCUSSION TOPICS

  • Wetlands restoration: Status, trends and gaps
  • Wetland restoration: The key challenges faced including insights on how to overcome barriers
  • Opportunities to scale wetland restoration by 2030

Moderator: Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands

Speakers list

H.E. Mrs. Shara Duncan Villalobos, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva

Ms. Jane Madgwick, Chief Executive Officer, Wetlands International

Ms. Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator, United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 

Mr. Bernard Giraud, President and co-founder, Livelihoods Fund

Mr. Asok Kumar, Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, World Restoration Flagship. 

Ms. Lucy Iyango, Commissioner Wetlands Management Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda 

Mr. Adam Campbell, Manager of Atlantic Operations, Ducks Unlimited Canada North America

Marcela Torres, National Focal Point, Ecuador – Latin America 

Dr. Santtu Kareksela, Senior Specialist in Nature Conservation at Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland, Chair of the Finnish Peatland Restoration Monitoring Network

Mr. James Dalton, Head, Water and Land Management International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 

Session Recording:

Watch the Webinar here: 
9.00 CET: https://youtu.be/tR0uzl9fYeA
16.00 CET: https://youtu.be/Q6Lv0vt1idU