Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl
In 1971, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat was held in Ramsar, Iran (Firouz, 1971). The Convention, also known as the Ramsar Convention, entered into force in December of 1975 with the countries of Australia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Iran, Greece and Bulgaria signing on as parties to the Convention at that time (Johnson, 1976). The Ramsar Convention is considered the principal global instrument for intergovernmental cooperation on wetland conservation (Smart and Canters, 1991). The initiative behind the Convention was due to mostly by the efforts of non-governmental organizations (Podolsky, 2001). The main objective of the Convention was to establish a comprehensive international plan for the protection of the wetland ecosystem. The Convention required the parties to formulate their planning so as to promote the "wise use" of wetlands in their territory and the conservation of particular sites to be included in a list of wetlands of international importance (Bowman, 1995). This paper will cover the background leading to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, including the formulation of policy, key players, factors, mechanisms, as well as the actual Convention and its effectiveness for protecting the international wetland ecosystem.
Background on wetlands and policy development
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, incl...
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... and beyond proves to be a difficult endeavor (Amezega, biotic wetland). There has also been a slow focus on fish and other aquatic organisms. Need more info on Challenges
Another way to measure effectiveness is to see if it has met its own Convention requirements. The Ramsar Convention has four requirements for contracting parties. The first is that each contracting party must sign and list one wetland and maintain its ecological character. The second is for each contracting party to formulate and implement planning policy in accordance with Ramsar Convention Use guidelines. The third is contracting parties are to establish nature reserves in wetlands and to promote training in the fields of wetlands research, management and wardening. The fourth requirement is that contracting parties should engage in consultation with one another about Convention implementation.
I live in Houma, Louisiana so I have tons of experience with the bayou region of South Louisiana. Everywhere I look in Houma there is a bayou, which is a good and bad thing. With a bayou comes many great things such as Egrets, Spanish Moss, etc. The bad thing about seeing many bayous is that it is a constant reminder that one day, Houma might be a part of the Gulf of Mexico. Also my dad’s side of the family is from Chauvin and Golden Meadow which is not too far from where the real damage of eroding wetlands is. I go down to Chauvin sometimes to visit my Nanny and her husband. I always see houses on stilts because of possible flooding that could come if a hurricane passes through. One of the issues that Mike Tidwell caught my interest was that the wildlife in bayous will one day be diminished into smaller numbers. That is because the eroding land causes brown shrimp, crabs, and other seafood to die out. Many residents in South Louisiana make a living off of seafood so to have most of that industry die out will hurt the economy of South Louisiana. I just found this issue very interesting.
The first mitigation banking guidance was released in 1995 by the EPA and Corps of Engineers. The most recent wetland mitigation banking guidance was released in 2008. The idea behind both wetland mitigation banking and conservation banking is to provide compensation for unavoidable impacts to resources prior to the environmental impact taking place (FWS, 2003). Based on the rules set forth in section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and section 404 of the Clean Water Act, wetland impacts are reduced by using the following sequence of steps: avoiding impacts, minimizing impacts, and as a last resort, mitigating for impacts. Although the Corps has enforced a mitigation policy to reg...
...n, the Louisiana wetlands are an extremely valuable asset to the State of Louisiana and the United States. The continual loss of Louisiana wetlands has the potential to have an immensely negative effect on the economy at a state and national level. Over 2 million people live in the Louisiana coastal parishes (Field et al., 1991). The majority of people living on the Louisiana coast make their living from things that are directly related to the wetlands. The Louisiana wetlands make up the largest wetland community in America and is being lost at a rate greater than the other wetland communities in the country. The suggested strategies that are being taken into consideration could be helpful but it seems that the State of Louisiana is not as concerned as it should be given the future consequences and much like climate change coastal erosion is not being taken serious.
DUI’s vision is, “…wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.” The site’s main focus stays true to DUI’s vision; protecting important waterfow...
The Badu Wetlands are located within the Bicentennial Park which is located in the Parramatta River Basin approximately 12km west of the CBD. It receives slightly less rainfall and higher average temperatures than that of the CBD (central business district). The latitude of Bicentennial Park is 3350’ and the longitude is 15304’ with an altitude of 0-10 meters above seas level (m.a.s.l )The average temperature of the park is a warm temperate eastern marine. The size of the park is 100 hectares with the wetland size being 58 hectares, showing that the wetlands cover more than half of the park.
The Florida Everglades is one of the most diverse wetland ecosystems in the United States. These tropical wetlands span an area of more than seven hundred square miles in southern Florida. The term Everglade means river of grass. The system starts in central Florida near Orlando and travels southwest to the tip of Florida. The Everglades has a wet season and a dry season which causes a great change in hydrology. During the wet season the system is a slow moving river that is sixty miles wide and over a hundred miles long. During the dry season water levels drop and some areas will completely dry up. The Everglades has many different aquatic environments all having interdependent ecosystems. The most important factor for all these environments is water. It helps shape the land, vegetation, and all the organism that live in each area. Each environment has particular needs for the organisms living in that area. Throughout the years humans have diverted the water to fit their varying needs. The state has built dikes and levees, dug canals, and have built locks to divert the water. This has all been done to keep areas completely dry for developing and agricultural needs. Today, The Everglades is half the size of its original size. Throughout the years many restoration acts have been created and updated. The Everglades restoration projects have been the most expensive environmental repairs in The United States. This is because The Everglades is one of the three most important wetland areas in the world. The Everglades National Park is the home of thirty six protected species including the West Indian Manatee, the American Crocodile, and the Florida Panther. The Everglades also homes hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, and repti...
The Everglades, classified as a wetland or a "transition zone" can support plant and animal life unlike any other place. Wetlands are an important resource for endangered species and "that more than one third of the United States' threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands." Says Elaine Mao, the author of Wetlands and Habitat Loss. People have started to notice the importance and the role of wetlands like the Everglades and how they are valuable and essential for ecosystems to live. Wetlands provide so many kinds of plants, mammals, reptiles, birds, and
DU they do not just go a fill up a pond of water and call it good. “Ducks Unlimited is the leader in the conservation of habitats that are essential to North America’s waterfowl and countless other species of plants and animals. Because they cross an enormous scope of geography, waterfowl and other migratory species have especially complex needs. The continent’s 36 species of ducks, 10 species of geese, and 2 species of swans depend on a broad array of wetland and upland habitats at each phase of their annual cycle” (DU plan).
This paper introduces the environmental concerns of the loss of coastal wetlands. The paper will discuss the significance of wetlands and the devastation that is occurring because of human activity. Wetlands are an essential element of our environment both ecological and societal; conservation will be essential for the preservation of these precious ecosystems.
Between 300 and 400 million people worldwide live in areas near wetlands and depend on them. Wetlands are mechanisms for treatment of wastewater are extremely efficient because they absorb chemicals and filter pollutants and sediments. Half the world's wetlands have disappeared due to urbanization and industrial development. The only way to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction will be through better management of rivers and wetlands, and the land they drain and drain as well as through increased investment in them.
These four studies evaluated the use of marine protected areas (MPAs) as the primary tool for conservation efforts. Within Fox’s study, he identified four components that increase an MPA’s effectiveness, all of which focus on bringing together the goals of the governing bodies involved, as well those of the locals who rely on the marine systems in question for resources. The research presented by Edgar and his team presents similar findings as they identify five factors that have shown to increase the success of MPAs after they studied 87 different MPA locations. In addition to identifying the key factors that contribute to MPA success, they also identify some factors that lead to MPA failure. Halpern’s study focuses on the limitations of MPA networks and the broader scope issues that need to also be addressed in order for MPAs to be truly effective.
Delegation is the method of giving decision-making authority to lower-level employees. For the process to be successful, a worker must be able to obtain the resources and cooperation needed for successful completion of the delegated task. Empowerment of the workforce and task delegation is closely interrelated. Empowerment occurs when upper-level employees share power with lower-level employees. This involves providing the training, tools and management support that employees need to accomplish a task. Thus, the employee has both the authority and the means to accomplish the work. Even though authority can be delegated, responsibility cannot; the person who delegates a task is held responsible for its success in the end. Thus the assigned worker is liable for meeting the goals and objectives of the assignment (Camp 2006).
In my pursuit of gaining more knowledge on waterfowl and wetland management I was advised by Dr. Michael Eichholz and Ph.D. candidate John O’Connell to join Dr. Alan Afton’s list serve, [AFTON-L], which is where I first discovered your job posting for the Wildlife/Wetland Technician Job at Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area. My great desire to learn more about the management of wetlands and bottom land hardwood forests and their intricate symbiotic relationship make me an ideal candidate for this position. I know that with my strong desire to learn and diligent work ethic I can exceed the expectations for this position. For the past several years I have been searching for opportunities to learn more about the management of wildlife and the habitats that they use by volunteering with state wildlife biologists, site technicians and researchers. I have a strong interest in how waterfowl use wetlands, particularly moist-soil units, and how to manage these wetlands.
The development of environmental regimes involves a five-fold process. The first process is the agenda setting and issue definition stage, which identifies and brings attention to an issue to the international community. Secon...
Hughes, R. 1998. Environmental Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement. International Institute for Environment And Development. Environmental Planning Issues No. 11