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Wetlands and Coastal Zones Bulletin
Volume 1, No. 2
Main Article
Ramsar Convention
Mechanisms and Opportunities for Promoting Wetlands Conservation
By Néstor J. Windevoxhel Lora

The Ramsar Convention (Iran) or
International Convention on Wetlands Conservation was signed in 1971 and came into effect
in 1975. The definition of wetlands adopted for the Convention is similar to the
following:
They are extensions of marshes, swamps and bogs, or
water-covered surfaces, whether natural or artificial, temporary or permanent, stagnant or
running, fresh, salty or brackish, including seawater where depth at low tide is no
greater than six meters.
The Convention establishes that areas of
greater depth can be included in the definition or delimitation of a wetland if they
constitute an integral part of the ecosystem. This definition is extremely broad, making
it possible to:
Conserve wetlands and associated resources.
Preserve the ecological processes that sustain them.
Promote restoration of wetlands areas associated
with important ecosystems.
- Promote wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The RAMSAR Convention, as an international agreement, is
sufficiently general to respect the rights, individualities and autonomy of signatory
nations. Countries adhering to the Convention are obliged to take wetlands conservation
into account in their land ordering plans. Countries also assume commitments to:
Designate at least one wetlands area in their
territory for inclusion in the List of Wetlands with International Importance;
Promote wise use of wetlands in their territory;
Consult one another regarding compliance with
Convention obligations, especially in the case of a shared wetland or watershed; and
- Create wetlands preserves
The Convention also establishes clear parameters and
suggestions for wetlands management and conservation, and recommends that countries:
Protect their wetlands areas
Promote wise use of their wetlands and associated
resources
- Promote and develop national policy for wetlands
conservation
As can be noted, the Convention urges signatory parties
to promote and develop activities by means of all the mechanisms that have been described.
It also provides a legal framework that takes precedence over organic laws in most of the
Latin American countries, and thus serves as a framework of reference orienting national
policies with either positive or negative relation to wetlands ecosystems.
All of the countries in Mesoamérica have signed the
Ramsar Convention. The table below indicates the date countries signed the Convention, and
some general characteristics of wetland areas with international importance included in
the Ramsar list thus far.
Central American
Wetlands with
International Importance
Country/Ramsar Site |
Date |
Region-Location |
Size(Ha) |
PANAMÁ
·Golfo de Montijo
·Punta Patiño
·San San-Pond Sak |
11/26/90
10/13/93
06/09/93
|
Veraguas
Darién
Bocas del Toro
|
80,765
13,805
16,414
|
COSTA RICA
·Caño Negro
·Gandoca-Manzanillo
·Humedal Caribe Noreste
·Isla del Coco
·Palo Verde
·Tamarindo
·Térraba-Sierpe |
12/27/91
12/11/95
03/20/95
04/21/98
12/27/91
06/09/93
12/12/95 |
Alajuela
Limón
Limón and Heredia
Pacific Ocean
Guanacaste
Guanacaste
Puntarenas |
9,969
9,445
75,310
99,623
19,800
500
30,654
|
NICARAGUA
·Los Guatuzos |
07/30/97
|
Guatuzos/SIAPAZ
|
43,750
|
HONDURAS
·Barras de Cuero y Salado
·Jeanette Kawas National
Park
·Punta Izopo Wildlife Refuge |
06/23/93
03/28/95
03/20/96 |
Atlántida
Atlántida
Atlántida
|
13,225
78,150
11,200
|
GUATEMALA
·Laguna del Tigre
·Manchón-Guamuchal
·Bocas del Polochic Wildlife
Refuge |
06/26/90
04/25/95
03/20/96 |
El Petén
San Marcos
Izabal
|
48,372
13,500
21,227
|
EL SALVADOR
·Laguna de Jocotal |
08/1998
|
San Miguel
|
ND
|
BELIZE
·Crooked Tree Lagoon Area
·Mexico and Jones Lagoon
Area |
1998
1998
|
Belize river flood plain
ND |
ND
ND
|
The Convention establishes a series of services and
mechanisms to facilitate the work of signatory parties in complying with their objectives:
List of Wetlands with International Importance
This list is derived from national wetlands that signatory nations all over the world
designate as having international importance.
Database on Wetlands Areas with International
Importance
With the support of Wetlands International (ex IWRB) and IUCN, the Convention secretariat
has developed and maintains a database on wetlands with international importance. This is
now the worlds most extensive source of essential information on wetlands, and is
thus extremely important for monitoring their situation.
- Wetlands Conservation Fund
This fund provides financing for actions designed to conserve internationally-
important wetland areas and promote their sustainable use. With support from donors, the
Convention secretariat develops other funding strategies, such as the Wetlands for the
Future program, financed by the Government of the United
States.
- Monitoring Procedures
Countries concerned about degradation of areas on the list of internationally important
wetlands can request monitoring from the Convention secretariat. This mechanism is
thus a way of helping signatory countries to establish the technical, administrative and
social measures for restoring the wetland area quickly and efficiently, ensuring its
sustainable use, and receiving follow-up to guarantee that measures are effective.
- Associations with organizations that provide leadership
in the field of conservation and sustainable use of wetlands
The Convention secretariat collaborates closely with organizations actively working in
wetlands conservation and their sustainable use, particularly Wetlands International and
IUCN.
The formal character of the Ramsar Convention is evident
in terms of the international commitments established through country signature, but its
procedures serve as instruments that facilitate wetlands conservation in imminently
practical ways.
Wetlands Conservation: A Challenge at
Every Level
Not only do wetlands comprise a large number of
ecosystems, they are also extremely heterogeneous and variable in terms of both time and
space. Nevertheless, decisions must often be made regarding management and use of their
resources.
It is important to be aware that these decisions are not
the exclusive responsibility of governments; the responsibility and commitment corresponds
to society as a whole. Just like the wetlands themselves, mechanisms for achieving these
objectives are both varied and dynamic.
Wetlands conservation can be achieved through management plans, private sector
development strategies, management and conservation strategies, administration as
protected areas and other mechanisms. But none of these offer a recipe that can be applied
in the same way from one place to another. One or several of these mechanisms combined may
be the key to reaching objectives for conservation of biodiversity in wetlands, as the
capital base of sustainable development for people all over the world.
To achieve these goals, different paths must be forged in
response to the cultural, social, economic and ecological context of each area, country or
region. The Ramsar Convention mechanisms provide opportunity for identifying and using all
types of routes. But there is one universal factor, which is that wetlands-based
conservation and sustainable development requires determination and participation from
everyone, from governments to civil society to the private sector, at every level. The
challenge belongs to us all.
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