Percentage of Ramsar sites designated under different criteria.
Source: Data from Ramsar Sites Information Service https://rsis.ramsar.org/?pagetab=2. © John Wiley & Sons.
2.7.2 Ramsar Regions
For ease of management and implementation, the convention has divided the world into six Ramsar regions. This system of regionalization was adopted under Resolution 3.3 (in 1987). It has significant implications for effective operations, especially in terms of the structure of the Standing Committee and for the Contracting Parties to cooperate through regional meetings. The six regions under Ramsar Convention are:
1 Africa
2 Asia
3 Europe
4 Neotropics (Central and South America and the Caribbean)
5 North America (Canada, Mexico, and the US)
6 Oceania
Out of all the Ramsar regions, Europe has the most number of Ramsar sites (1116) followed by Africa (413), Asia (352), North America (219), Neotropics, (208) and Oceania (82) (Figure 2.4). The Ramsar Secretariat has four 2‐member “Regional Advisory Teams,” each consisting of a Senior Advisor and an Intern/Assistant Advisor, for the following regions: Africa, Asia‐Pacific, Europe, and the Americas (Neotropics and North America). Before every meeting of the Conference of Parties, regional or sub‐regional meetings are organized to prepare for the COP meeting (Ramsar Sites Information Service 2020).
Figure 2.4 Number and percentage of Ramsar sites in Ramsar Regions.
Source: Data from Ramsar Sites Information Service https://rsis.ramsar.org/?pagetab=2. © John Wiley & Sons.
2.7.3 National Ramsar Committees
Based on recommendation 5.7 of the Conference of Parties as well as Ramsar Strategic Plan, every member nation has to establish its National Ramsar Committee (often known as National Wetland Committee). The National Ramsar Committee of a Ramsar member provides help in the implementation of the Convention at the national level. A national Ramsar Committee particularly helps the different agencies, scientific and technical institutions, regional and local authorities, local communities, NGOs, and the private sector with regard to issues pertaining to the national wetland‐related policies; management of Ramsar Sites; application of the Montreux Record; designation of new Ramsar sites; and with those related to the Ramsar Small Grants Fund (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
2.7.4 The Montreux Record
Those wetlands on the list of Ramsar sites which are “either facing or likely to face large‐scale changes in their ecological character as a result of unsustainable technological developments, pollution or other human interference” are registered in the Montreux Record. The Montreux Record was established based on Recommendation 4.8 of the Conference of Parties in 1990 and is duly maintained as part of the Ramsar List. The Ramsar Advisory Mission, a technical assistance mechanism adopted by the Contracting Parties in 1990, has its role to provide assistance to the developed and developing countries in solving the problems or threats that make inclusion in the Montreux Record necessary (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
2.7.5 Ramsar Strategic Plan
The Ramsar Convention has set up mechanisms for developing and adopting innovative strategic plans of the treaty. The first strategic plan was adopted in the year 1997 for a period of three years. So far, there have been four strategic plans and the one under implementation is the fourth strategic plan which was adopted during the twelfth meeting of the Conference of Parties in Uruguay (2015). It shall be implemented over a span of eight years from 2016 to 2024. The fourth strategic plan lays out a new vision under the Convention’s mission; four overall goals and 19 specific targets which are designed to support the wetland conservation efforts of the Contracting Parties, their partners, and other stakeholders. It envisions preventing, stopping, and reversing the global decline of wetlands. Overall, the Ramsar Strategic Plans have been a successful initiative and other conventions have borrowed from their success (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
2.7.6 Three Pillars of Ramsar Convention
The idea of “three pillars” holds great significance for the strategic plans of the Ramsar Convention as the majority of the convention’s work is organized around these pillars (Figure 2.5). The idea of three pillars was introduced during the first strategic plan in 1997 and further recognized in the third Strategic Plan (2009–2015). The three pillars of the Ramsar Convention are:
Figure 2.5 Three pillars of the Ramsar Convention.
1 The “Wise‐use of Wetlands” has been identified as the first pillar of the Ramsar Strategic Plan. Its aim is to promote the conservation of wetlands through sustainable use of their services through actions like establishing national wetland policies; harmonizing the framework of laws and financial instruments affecting wetlands; undertaking inventory and assessment; ensuring public participation in wetland management and the maintenance of cultural values by local communities and indigenous people; promoting communication, education, participation, and awareness; and increasing private sector involvement (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
2 The second pillar is the identification of wetlands for their inclusion in the “List of Wetlands of International Importance.” This helps in the identification, designation, and management of a comprehensive global network of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List) and ensures their effective conservation and management (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
3 “International Cooperation” for conservation and wise‐use of wetlands has been identified as the third pillar of the strategic plan. This is particularly useful in the case of conservation and management of transboundary wetlands and the species harbored by them. This highlights the need for collaboration between different member nations, conventions as well as international organizations for easy flow of information and expertise, and sharing of financial resources, etc. (Matthews 1993; Ramsar Convention Secretariat 2011, 2016).
2.7.7 The Convention Budget
The convention budget is agreed upon for the applicable triennium. The decisions related to the financial regulations and the core budget are taken during the ordinary meetings of the Conference of Parties. The COP reviews the budget for the next triennium at each of its ordinary meetings. The Swiss Franc has been agreed upon as the official currency of the convention. The budget is prepared by the Ramsar Secretariat and
