Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), otherwise known as the
Ramsar Convention was the first intergovernmental treaty to promote
integrated management practices for wetlands and river basins, and for
Integrated Coastal Zone management, all essential in ensuring sustainable
water resources, and surviv able ecosystems in the future. Similar to the
Convention on Biological Diversity?s ecosystem approach, Ramsar?s wise use
principle, enshrined in the convention text, recommends a holistic approach
when establishing wetland and water management schemes, including not only
ecological or biological factors, but also social, institutional, economic and
cultural aspects. The Ramsar Convention has, since 1971, been a key global
force in promoting wise use of wetlands ? which in the last 10 years has meant
more focus on water, its protection, production and purification. Membership
of the Environmental management Group (EMG) helps us work synergistically
with other agencies and MEA?s on these themes.
The principle thus is based on establishing, or re-establishing, the link between
people and nature. Application of ?wise use? is crucial to ensuring that
wetlands can continue fully to deliver their ecosystem services in support of
human well-being.
Some 33 years of experience allows Ramsar to be, today, one of the most
practical conventions to help reaching the targets established during the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002) and key
Millennium Development Goals. By covering Water and Biodiversity we really
are the alpha and omega of the WEHAB process!
The water issue has been one of Ramsar?s thematic areas for a while now. In
the context of the new paradigm of integrated ecosystem management,
wetlands are one of the vital elements which help to sustain the waterways
that provide our food and drinking water. But the Convention is also
addressing the key issue of how to provide water for people, while ensuring
ecosystems also receive water to enable them to continue to provide
ecosystem services on which we all depend. The Convention is shifting thus
from the original concept of ?wetlands for birds? to the one of ?water for
people?, and the global implementation of integrated wetland and water
management.
To achieve all this, the Convention works closely with other environmentrelated
global and regional conventions. It has Joint Work Plans or other
collaborative arrangements with the Framework Convention on Climate Change
and the Conventions on Biological Diversity, Combating Desertification,
Migratory Species, and several UNESCO programmes.
We are a Convention strongly based on science, and our subsidiary science body
helps prepare material for consideration by Parties when they meet. Our next
conference of the parties will be November 2005, in Kampala, Uganda, with
the theme of Supporting life, Sustaining Livelihoods, and I am sure I speak also
for Uganda in saying we look forward to welcoming all the delegates here
present to Kampala, to really advance global efforts in ensuring functioning
wetlands, as well as ensuring water for people, wherever and however they
live!
Ramsar Convention was the first intergovernmental treaty to promote
integrated management practices for wetlands and river basins, and for
Integrated Coastal Zone management, all essential in ensuring sustainable
water resources, and surviv able ecosystems in the future. Similar to the
Convention on Biological Diversity?s ecosystem approach, Ramsar?s wise use
principle, enshrined in the convention text, recommends a holistic approach
when establishing wetland and water management schemes, including not only
ecological or biological factors, but also social, institutional, economic and
cultural aspects. The Ramsar Convention has, since 1971, been a key global
force in promoting wise use of wetlands ? which in the last 10 years has meant
more focus on water, its protection, production and purification. Membership
of the Environmental management Group (EMG) helps us work synergistically
with other agencies and MEA?s on these themes.
The principle thus is based on establishing, or re-establishing, the link between
people and nature. Application of ?wise use? is crucial to ensuring that
wetlands can continue fully to deliver their ecosystem services in support of
human well-being.
Some 33 years of experience allows Ramsar to be, today, one of the most
practical conventions to help reaching the targets established during the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002) and key
Millennium Development Goals. By covering Water and Biodiversity we really
are the alpha and omega of the WEHAB process!
The water issue has been one of Ramsar?s thematic areas for a while now. In
the context of the new paradigm of integrated ecosystem management,
wetlands are one of the vital elements which help to sustain the waterways
that provide our food and drinking water. But the Convention is also
addressing the key issue of how to provide water for people, while ensuring
ecosystems also receive water to enable them to continue to provide
ecosystem services on which we all depend. The Convention is shifting thus
from the original concept of ?wetlands for birds? to the one of ?water for
people?, and the global implementation of integrated wetland and water
management.
To achieve all this, the Convention works closely with other environmentrelated
global and regional conventions. It has Joint Work Plans or other
collaborative arrangements with the Framework Convention on Climate Change
and the Conventions on Biological Diversity, Combating Desertification,
Migratory Species, and several UNESCO programmes.
We are a Convention strongly based on science, and our subsidiary science body
helps prepare material for consideration by Parties when they meet. Our next
conference of the parties will be November 2005, in Kampala, Uganda, with
the theme of Supporting life, Sustaining Livelihoods, and I am sure I speak also
for Uganda in saying we look forward to welcoming all the delegates here
present to Kampala, to really advance global efforts in ensuring functioning
wetlands, as well as ensuring water for people, wherever and however they
live!