---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 17:03:07 +0930
From: Max Finlayson <maxf at eriss.erin.gov.au>
To: "'asl at pellew.ntu.edu.au'" <asl at pellew.ntu.edu.au>,
"'ESA at dwe.csiro.au'" <ESA at dwe.csiro.au>
Subject: The dismal state of global wetland inventory
A 'Review of Global Wetland Resources and Priorities for Wetland Inventory'
was undertaken by Wetlands International with assistance from the Australian
Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (eriss), on
behalf of the Bureau of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention with funding support
from the Governments of the UK and Netherlands. The review was presented at
the 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP7) to the Convention on
Wetlands in Costa Rica, May 1999.
Each of the (then) seven Ramsar regions was reviewed by a team from Wetlands
International offices in Canada, or the Netherlands. A global overview was
undertaken by eriss and a summary prepared as the basis of Resolution VII.20
"Priorities for Wetland Inventory" from CoP7 (see
http://www.ramsar.org/key_res_vii.20e.htm)
The main recommendations from the review are given below. These point out
the generally dismal state of wetland inventory and the need for
standardised approaches for data collation, collection and storage. This
conclusion was drawn despite many 'claims' that inventory had not only been
comprehensively undertaken in the past, but that it had seen its day and we
should be moving onto more meaningful science.
Copies of the complete report were made available on CD-ROM to each of the
Ramsar Contracting Parties present at CoP7. Further copies are being
produced and the entire report will soon be available on the Wetlands
International web site (http://www.wetlands.agro.nl/default.htm).
The bibliographic details for the report are - Finlayson CM & Spiers AG
(eds) 1999. Global review of wetland resources and priorities for wetland
inventory. Supervising Scientist Report 144, Canberra, Australia.
On the basis of this review and the resolution accepted at CoP7 Wetlands
International and eriss are developing a hierarchical protocol for an
Asia-wide wetland inventory. Initial support has been received from the
Environment Agency-Japan.
Recommendations taken from the global review of wetland inventory are given
below:
This review makes many critical comments on the state of global wetland
inventory. In summary, global wetland inventory is incomplete and inadequate
for most management purposes. From our many comments, eight are recommended
for priority action. These reflect the effort required to implement an
effective inventory program as the basis for wise use of the global wetland
resource. Not all recommendations are, however, relevant to all geographic
situations or inventory programs.
1. All countries lacking a national wetland inventory should undertake
one, using an approach that is comparable with other wetland inventories and
for which the Ramsar Convention should provide guidance (see below). These
inventories are needed to underpin national planning, policy development and
all efforts directed at wetland conservation and wise use promoted by the
Ramsar Convention, and other related conventions. The inventories will
assist in identifying wetlands of national and international importance, and
through this to contribute to the Ramsar Convention achieving its vision for
the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar COP7 Doc. 15.11 -
Proposal No.11).
2. Quantitative studies of wetland loss and degradation are urgently
required for much of Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands and
Australia.
3. Further inventory should focus on a basic data set describing the
location and size of each wetland, and its major biophysical features,
including variations in area and the water regime. This information should
be made available in both hardcopy and electronic formats.
4. After acquisition of the basic data, further information oriented to
management on wetland threats and uses, land tenure and management regimes,
benefits and values, should be collected. Source(s) of information should be
clearly recorded along with comments on its accuracy and availability.
5. Each inventory should include a clear statement of its purpose and
the range of information that has been collated or collected. This extends
to defining the habitats covered and the date the information was obtained
or updated.
6. The Ramsar Convention should support the development and
dissemination of models for improved globally-applicable wetland inventory.
These should be derived from existing models (for example the MedWet
program) that are capable of using both remote sensing and ground
techniques, as appropriate. Models should cover appropriate habitat
classifications (eg those based on landform categories), information
collation and storage, in particular Geographic Information Systems for
spatial and temporal data that can be used for monitoring purposes.
7. The Ramsar Convention should support development of a central
repository for both hardcopy and electronic inventories. The meta-data that
describe the inventories should be published on the World Wide Web for
greater accessibility.
8. Further support is required for completion of the global review of
wetland resources and priorities for wetland inventory; and to develop
procedures for regular updating and publishing of inventory information on
the World Wide Web. Regular updating (eg in conjunction with the triennial
national reporting to the Ramsar Convention) may require restructuring the
format and style of the current databases and bibliographic materials
supplied by this project.
Max Finlayson
Manager Wetland Ecology & Conservation
ERISS, Locked Bag 2
Jabiru, NT 0886, Australia
work tel 61-(0)8-89799756
work fax 61-(0)8-89792149
mobile 61-(0)418-835239
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