ramsar convention on wetland

ramsar convention

1. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Hari k rish na 48605

2. INTRODUCTION The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Ramsar is the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention entered into force in 1975 and now has over 2,200 Ramsar Sites on the territories of 169 Ramsar Contracting Parties across the world, covering more than 2.1 million square kilometers.

3. Why conserve wetlands? Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates species. For centuries mankind had viewed wetlands as places to drain and convert to more obvious uses, such as agriculture. But the process had gone so far in the developed countries that the disappearance of wetlands was leading to undesirable consequences - to the loss of groundwater reserves and the consequent need for irrigation, to flash floods, to shoreline destruction, to the accumulation of pollutants and to other subtle disturbances. Many useful plants and animals dependent on wetlands were disappearing with them.

4. How does the convention work? The  Conference of the Contracting Parties  (COP) meets every 3 years and promotes policies and guidelines to further the application of the Convention. The  Standing Committee , made up of Parties representing the 6 Ramsar regions of the world, meets annually to guide the Convention between meetings of the COP. The  Scientific and Technical Review Panel   provides guidance on key issues for the Convention. The  Ramsar Secretariat   manages the day-to-day activities of the Convention. The  MedWet Initiativ e, with its Secretariat in Athens, provides a model for regional wetland cooperation now being emulated by regional initiatives under the Convention in many parts of the world. Nationally, each  Contracting Party  designates an  Administrative Authority  as its focal point for implementation of the Convention. Countries are encouraged to establish  National Wetland Committees , involving all government sectors dealing with water resources, development planning, protected areas, biodiversity, tourism, education, development assistance, etc. Participation by NGOs and civil society is also encouraged. Ramsar sites facing problems in maintaining their ecological character can be placed by the country concerned on a special list, the  Montreux Record , and technical assistance to help solve the problems can be provid Future Fund for financial assistance to implement wetland conservation and wise use projects.

5. NEED OF INTERNATION CONVENTION International action was necessary for several reasons. Many wetlands lay athwart national boundaries or derived their water supplies from neighboring countries. The circulation of water in the atmosphere was truly international. Fish hatched in the wetlands of one country might be caught as adults in those of another, or on the high seas. Water birds, migrating over thousands of kilometers twice a year, also ignored boundaries and needed the wetlands of many countries in which to rest, feed and breed. Finally, if the developing countries were to be helped to use their wetlands wisely, there must be international arrangements for the provision of technical and financial aid