Ramsar Sites Notes

RAMSAR SITES

Ramsar sites are wetlands considered to be of international importance. The international convention which forms the basis for their identification is commonly referred to as the "Ramsar Convention" after the city in Iran where the convention was signed in 1971. The Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. All joining Parties of the Ramsar Convention commit themselves to work towards the “three pillars” of the Convention.

Ensuring the conservation and wise use of wetlands it has designated as Wetlands of International Importance,

Including as far as possible the wise use of all wetlands in national environmental planning, and

Consulting with other Parties about implementation of the Convention, especially in regard to transboundary wetlands, shared water systems, and shared species.

Sites are selected by the Contracting Parties for designation under the Convention by reference to the Criteria for the Identification of Wetlands of International Importance. Sites must meet one or more of the following nine criteria:

·         Contains a representative, rare or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.

·         Supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

·         Supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.

·         Supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.

·         Regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

·         Regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of water birds.

·         Supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.

·         Is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.

·         Regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species.

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