Award Winners Restore Wetlands In Danger

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 9, 2002 (ENS) - A private winemaker in Australia, a government agency in India, and a consortium of nongovernmental organizations in Central Europe have been named as the 2002 Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award winners for their outstanding conservation of wetlands.

The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award is given by the secretariat of the international treaty known as the Convention on Wetlands, signed 30 years ago in Ramsar, Iran. The award was established in 1996, and first presented in 1999 during the conference of Parties to the Convention, who meet once every three years. This year's winners are the second group to be honored.

Each of the three Ramsar Award winners will also receive an Evian Special Prize, consisting of US$10,000 donated by the Danone Group of France, owner of Evian Mineral Waters.

>From the Murray River region of Australia, Banrock Station Wines of the BRL Hardy Wine Company has been chosen for its innovative approach to supporting the sustainable use of wetland resources.

Formerly subjected to regular natural flooding, the Banrock property on the floodplain of the River Murray was permanently inundated after the installation of a dam. In addition, the impacts of the invasive species European carp, sheep and rabbit grazing, and rising saline groundwater, degraded the wetland complex. Since 1992, measures have been taken to reinstate a semi-natural cycle of wet and dry periods in the floodplain and to remove the invasive carp, sheep and rabbits in cooperation with Wetland Care Australia.

Adjoining woodland has been rehabilitated. The company practices conservation viticulture, and conducts public awareness activities through its onsite Wine and Wetland Centre.

In eight other countries, Banrock allocates a percentage of its sales revenue to wetland conservation projects in those countries. BRL Hardy has announced that its cash award will be devoted to wetland projects in developing countries, in consultation with the Ramsar Bureau.

In India, the Chilika Development Authority has been chosen for its outstanding achievement in restoring the Chilika Lake, designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The largest lagoon on the east coast of India, Chilika Lake in the state of Orissa was listed as a threatened Ramsar site in 1993 due to siltation and choking of the seawater inlet channel, resulting in the proliferation of invasive freshwater species, the decrease in fish productivity, and an overall loss of biodiversity.

The Chilika Development Authority, under CEO Ajit Pattnaik, has carried out the restoration with the participation of the local people who share in the decision making. Physical work has restored natural flows of water and salinity levels, economic incentives have discouraged poaching, and training programs in ecotourism have improved socio-economic conditions in local villages.

In addition to its importance for waterbirds - over one million migratory birds winter there - and biodiversity in general, significant numbers of people are dependent upon the lake's resources. Education and environmental awareness initiatives have been undertaken to ensure the understanding that will support long term restoration.

Covering three countries - Austria, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic - the NGO Trinational Initiative for the Morava-Dyje Floodplain has been selected for the third 2002 Ramsar Award.

"The Morava-Dyje riverine landscape is one of the last regions in Europe where traditional land use has secured a rich biodiversity, and it serves today as a model area for the reconciliation of nature and humankind," the Ramsar Bureau says.

The NGOs involved are Daphne in the Slovak Republic, Distelverein in Austria, and Veronica in the Czech Republic, with the support of WWF International's Danube Carpathian Programme.

Through their efforts, the Ministries for the Environment of the three countries have established a transboundary Trilateral Ramsar Platform for the Morava-Dyje Floodplain. Under this arrangement, a body of 15 experts from the ministries, water management agencies, national Ramsar committees, and NGOs is meeting regularly to ensure collaborative and sustainable management.

In addition to the three Ramsar Awards for 2002, a Recognition of Excellence has been conferred upon two individuals whose distinguished service has furthered the cause of wetland conservation.

Dr. Monique Coulet

Dr. Monique Coulet of France is being recognized for her scientific research and for her commitment to making practical use of the knowledge acquired in the field. A specialist in the ecology of large rivers, she works with the evolution of riparian wetlands and their response to various kinds of disturbances. Dr. Coulet has contributed to the development of the concept of connectivity between ecosystems such as between wetlands and rivers or underground water.

She has worked tirelessly for the long term conservation of the Loire River and the complex of the Doubs-Saône-Rhône rivers, most notably as cofounder of the influential Loire vivante and Saône-Doubs vivants campaigns which have helped shape government development policies in these regions.

Dr. Max Finlayson of Australia is being honored for his contributions to the progress of wetland science and in providing leadership to the work of the Ramsar Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel in the 10 years since its creation.

Dr. Max Finlayson

In addition to his research both in Australia and abroad, Dr. Finlayson was instrumental in the establishment of the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) and has worked closely with Wetlands International, serving on its Board of Directors and now as its newly elected President.

The Awards, together with the Evian Special Prize and the Recognitions of Excellence will be presented to the winners during the opening ceremony of the next Conference of the 132 Ramsar member countries on November 18, 2002, in Valencia, Spain.

The Ramsar treaty provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Currently, there are 132 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1,178 wetland sites, totaling 102.1 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Source: http://ens-news.com/ens/jul2002/2002-07-09-02.asp