In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, 1 March 2004, the government has posted its authorization for the ratification of the Ramsar Convention: “Under article one of the law nº 37/2003 of 29/12/2003, the President; the Parliament and the Senate of Rwanda have authorized the ratification of the Ramsar Convention of February 2, 1971 on wetlands of international importance. Article 2 of the same law indicates that the law comes into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda and becomes effective in accordance with article 10 of the Protocol mentioned in article one of this law.”
Rwanda has chosen its first Ramsar Site and is rapidly progressing towards joining the Ramsar family.
Source: www.ramsar.org
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In its celebration of World Wetlands Day 2004, Lesotho’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Water Affairs, Wetland Unit together with Lesotho National University, IUCN ROSA, national NGOs and other bodies concerning with nature gathered in a seminar at the Lesotho National Convention Centre on 2 February to mark Lesotho’s commitment to nature conservation at the national and global levels. The Lesotho population also took part in the celebration and expressed itself in different activities of the workshop. H.E. Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Monyane Moleleki, H.E. Minister of Tourism Environment and Culture, H.E. Assistant Minister of Justice, Ms. Lebohang Nts'inyi, Human Rights, Law and Constitutional Affairs, Ms. Mpeo Mahase attended the seminar. Through this event, a declaration to join the Ramsar Convention was made and the documents related to Lesotho’s accession to the Convention were signed. The Letseng-la-Letsie wetland was announced to be Lesotho’s first Ramsar site.
Source: www.ramsar.org
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The Ramsar Convention Implementation Office (State Forestry Administration) has recently formulated China’s National Wetland Conservation Programme for 2002-2030, jointly working with the National Commission of Development and Reform, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Land Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Construction, State Environment Protection Administration, and the State Oceanic Administration.
Targets have been set for the near future, middle term and long term as follows:
Near Future (before 2010):
- Development of national facilitation mechanism and management system (including monitoring, CEPA) for wetlands;
- Stop and reverse the degradation of wetland ecosystems;
- Effective conservation of key wetlands;
- Development of facilities/institutions for 225 wetland reserves, including designation of 30 new Ramsar sites.
- Restoring at least 1.1 million ha wetlands;
- Development of pilot demonstration for wise use of wetlands in 23 sites.
Middle term (2010-2020):
- Consolidate wetland reserve networks, establish and improve legislation, institutional setting for wetlands, research and monitory system;
- Effective conservation of 60% of natural wetlands;
- Development of facilities /institutions for 175 wetland reserves, including 120 new wetland reserves, designation of 30 new Ramsar sites;
- Restoring 190,000 ha wetlands;
- Development of pilot demonstration for wise use of wetlands in 18 sites.
Long-term (2020-2030)
- Development of a functioning legal, administrative system for wetland conservation and wise use;
- Effective conservation of 90% of nature wetlands;
- Up to 2030, number of wetland reserves reaches 713, including 80 Ramsar sites;
- Restoring 1.4 million ha wetlands;
- Firmly establish 53 demonstration sites, for the wise use and conservation
Source: www.ramsar.org
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A survey on the potential and possible commercial deposits of peat in Magallanes Region, Tierra del Fuego and adjoining islands was contracted by the Minerals Department of the regional government in extreme south Chile.
Apparently the company began working last January and is expected to deliver a first report next February. The field work, analyzing depth and quality of the peat deposits, is complemented with air and satellite photography.
The February report should give an idea of the areas with peat, estimated volume of deposits, and the type of peat.
According to the Punta Arenas press, contractors have already covered 60 to 70% of the areas marked for surveying including Navarino, Dawson and Riesco islands, and the Brunswick peninsula.
There are three options considered for the peat deposits in the area: agriculture; industry, particularly cosmetics, and fuel.
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Most peat extractors in Canada have already agreed on a voluntary basis to restore or reclaim their cut-over bogs, but now a fund shall ensure it really happens. After nearly 3 years of negotiations between the industry and the government peat extractors in New Brunswick (Canada) have established a fund to cover the costs of restoration. It will apply to all peatlands that are leased from the government.
Starting from 2006 peat companies will pay into the fund – up to a sum of $750 CAN per hectare.
After completing a partial restoration or reclamation (even when extraction stops) companies can withdraw $375 CAN per hectare and as soon the restoration project satisfied the government they get the last $375 CAN.
(Source: IPS)
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An Bord Pleanála decided to refuse planning permission to two separate windfarms within the Boleybrack Mountain Special Area of Conservation (SAC site code: 2032), an internationally protected peatland in County Leitrim. This decision comes two years after the IPCC objected to one of these proposed windfarms and highlighted concerns to Leitrim County Council. The area was later designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and still the County Council ignored their responsibility to protect the bog. They gave planning permission to Airtricity Developments (Ireland) Limited to develop a windfarm of 31 turbines and to Stewart Hydro Limited to develop a windfarm of 12 turbines, both of which were located within Boleybrack Mountain SAC.
The IPCC submitted objections to these decisions to An Bord Pleanála based on a number of issues, including the incompatibility of developing windfarms on such a fragile and sensitive habitat.
In its reasons for refusal, An Bord Pleanála stated that the site of the proposed windfarm of 31 turbines “hosts extensive priority habitat designated under the EU Habitats Directive, namely upland blanket bog” and that the proposed development “would have a significant adverse environmental impact on the natural habitats of the area.”
Boleybrack Mountain SAC in County Leitrim is one of the most intact, wild expanses of upland blanket bog left in Ireland. It comprises a rich diversity of habitats, and is dominated by active mountain blanket bog and wet heath. Active mountain blanket bog is listed as a priority habitat on the EU Habitats Directive, which means that this habitat is threatened in the European context and that Ireland has an international responsibility to conserve it adequately.
The windfarms were also appealed by Action for Sustainable Energy and An Taisce.
After 21st June IPCC’s new address is
Bog of Allen Nature Centre,
Lullymore, Rathangan,
Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Our fellow IMCG member Dr Alexander Kozulin has been awarded the Marsh Trust Award for Bird Conservation for his work to save the fen mires of Belarus, home to the core population of the Aquatic Warbler, Europe’s rarest songbird.
The aquatic warbler is a star species for Belarus. It features on the country’s national postage stamps and is the emblem of APB, the BirdLife International partner for Belarus. But it is also a globally threatened species.
In the 20th century, most wetlands with breeding aquatic warblers were drained, causing significant problems for the species. Recent conservation work, led by Alexander Kozulin, offers a brighter future thanks to successful and ongoing efforts to save the fen mires of Belarus that they rely on.
The aquatic warbler passes through many European countries on its way to its wintering grounds in Africa. These countries (including Senegal) are signatories to a Memorandum of Understanding and an Action Plan setting out an ambitious research and conservation programme for aquatic warblers. Belarus, for example, plans to restore 40,000 hectares of drained peatland.
Alexander Kozulin: “The story of the aquatic warbler is a nice example of how much can be achieved when people from different countries and organisations join together with one noble goal: to protect nature.”
Source http://www.rspb.org.uk/
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On 17-18 June 2004, the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MaB) of UNESCO invited national experts for a working meeting concerning the establishment of a Polesie transboundary Biosphere Reserve (BR) and regional ecological network in the Polesie region shared between Belarus, Poland and Ukraine.
In 2002, the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (BR) for Polesie was set up with the adoption of the West Polesie BR in eastern Poland, ajacent to the Shatskiy BR in Ukraine’s northwestern corner. Now, the newly nominated Pribuzhskoye-Polesie BR along the Bug river floodplain in adjacent Belarus needs to be incorporated into a true Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. National experts from the Belarus Academy of Sciences, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences outlined the areas that still need to be incorporated into the trilateral BR and discussed the need for zonation into the categories: core conservation zone, buffer zone, and transition zone for sustainable development. The country experts also made detailed proposals on future work, including the creation of a trilateral Steering Committee and of an advisory Scientific Council, likely to have their first meeting in autumn 2004.
The wider Polesie region contains some of Europe’s richest natural treasures, in the North the large Bialowieza / Belaveszhskaia Pushcha forest and swamps, shared by Poland and Belarus, with the last wild roaming European bisons, or the unique Pripyat floodplain, Europe’s “Amazonia,” shared between Belarus and Ukraine, with its spectacular spring floods. The three countries have already designated a number of Wetlands of International Importance (or Ramsar Sites) in this region, which forms an important node in linking the drainage basins of the Baltic and Black Seas. Thus, quite some time was devoted to discussing the extent of existing ecological corridors and identifying those in need of rehabilitation.
Four (of the seven) existing Ramsar Sites in Belarus are situated close to the proposed Biosphere Reserve: Mid-Pripyat State Landscape Zakaznik, Zvanets Fen Mire, Olmany Mires Zakaznik, and Sporovsky Biological Reserve. To the east, Pripyatski National Park and Prostyr Zakaznik in the Pripyat floodplain, the Bieloie Fishfarm, and the Polesie Zapovednik (as part of the programme for rehabilitation of Chernobyl-affected areas in Belarus) could easily be included into a regional ecological network and would fulfil the criteria for Ramsar designation.
Poland is about to designate Poleski National Park as a Ramsar Site with its calcareous mires, marshes and peatlands, situated in the core zone of the West Polesie BR. Further north, Biebrza National Park was designated as a Ramsar Site in 1995, covering parts of the Biebrza floodplain, and Narwianski National Park, covering parts of the Narew floodplain, is in the process of designation. The Bug River forms the border between the three countries – parts of its floodplains, shared between Poland and Ukraine and further downstream between Poland and Belarus, need to be included into the Trilateral Biosphere Reserve and should be designated as Ramsar Sites.
In Ukraine, Shatsk Lakes Ramsar Site is part of the existing Shatskiy BR. Two other existing Ramsar Sites, Pripyat and Stokhid River Floodplains further east, are ideally situated to be included in an ecological network for the Polesie area. They should form transboundary Ramsar Sites with areas downstream on the Belarus side. The Perebrody Peatlands, further east, for which Ramsar designation is under way, form a hydrological unit with the Olmany Mires Ramsar Site in Belarus. Thus, a transboundary Ramsar Site will soon be established. Polissia Mires is another Ukrainian Ramsar Site currently in the process of designation, situated further east along the border with Belarus.
This trilateral area, with three Biosphere Reserves, eight existing, and four Ramsar Sites in the process of designation, plus another four major wetland sites in the wider surroundings, is definitely an important European region for wetland conservation and sustainable development.
Tobias Salathé
Source: www.ramsar.org
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The Stakeholders’ Conference Biodiversity and the EU - Sustaining Life, Sustaining Livelihoods was held in Malahide, Ireland 25-27 May 2004. On the occasion, the Countdown to 2010 initiative was launched.
The main objective of the Malahide conference was to give a clear signal that biodiversity loss is still an important issue and something has to be done about it. A Countdown concept was presented referring to all actions needed to get to the target of halting biodiversity loss in 2010. The text provides an overview of all the actions required on EU and national level to achieve by 2010, and to remind politicians and the commission about their responsibilities.
Several members of the European Habiatat Forum (EHF) were present at the meeting, including Birdlife, EEB, IUCN, Eurosite and Europarc.
Five workshops struggled about some texts, which in the end resulted in a list of objectives and targets: A message from Malahide. Obviously this is a message for the new EU commissioner, when Walström leaves. For more info: www.countdown2010.net
At present, the EU is discussing the shape of the new ‘Financial Instrument for the Environment’. In an open letter, a number of European nature conservation organisations, many of which are members of the European Habitats Forum, have requested the continuation of the LIFE Nature programme after 2006.
The LIFE programme has been one of the most successful EU instruments for protecting and enhancing the environment. LIFE Nature has directly assisted the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives, particularly by supporting the management of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and building support for these Directives at a local level in the communities directly concerned.
Over recent years, non-governmental organisations have been involved in a variety of innovative nature conservation projects across Europe such as wetland protection and projects to demonstrate environmentally-friendly farming practices in the Ebro Delta, the conservation of the Bearded Vulture in Spain, France and Greece and urgent conservation management for the Capercaillie in Scotland. LIFE funds have also played a crucial role in the implementation of Species Action Plans, primarily to conserve globally threatened birds.
Without such a LIFE fund, numerous habitats such as wetlands, bogs, many heathlands, saltpans, and marine habitats, would suffer from a lack of funding, because these habitats are not generally eligible for Rural Development or Structural Funds. Furthermore, conservation actions needed to implement the Species Action Plans for birds, which are currently a priority for funding under LIFE Nature, as well as actions for priority species under the Habitats Directive, would lose out.
The open letter urges to make provision for the continuation of the LIFE Nature fund, or a directly comparable instrument, after 2006. This is vital to ensure that species and habitats of European importance are safeguarded for future generations.
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