Ramsar Convention on wetlands celebrates 50th anniversary, but wetlands are still in decline
On the 2nd of February 2021, the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Despite its long history, there is still an alarming decline in wetlands. Dr. Peter Bridgewater from the 木瓜福利影视 of Canberra and Dr. Rakhyun E. Kim from the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development at Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 wrote about the mixed legacy of the convention in . They argue that the convention will need to embrace new ecological thinking and conservation approaches for it to survive and stay relevant in the Anthropocene.
鈥淥ver the 50 year lifetime of the convention, at least 35 percent of wetlands globally have been lost,鈥 Bridgewater and Kim state. According to them, the convention has a mixed legacy. Its notable achievements in establishing better awareness of wetlands globally, an extensive network of Sites of International Importance, and near universal membership of the world鈥檚 nations contrast with recent reports of declining wetlands.
Insufficient long-term impact
In its current form, the authors find it questionable that the Convention will have sufficient impact on wetlands in the long term. 鈥淥ne of its major flaws is the Ramsar鈥檚 site-based approach,鈥 Bridgewater and Kim argue. The Ramsar Convention identifies suitable wetlands for a List of Wetlands of International Importance. Once on the list, the Convention mandates countries to ensure the sites maintain their 鈥榚cological character鈥. However, the authors argue that once an area is placed on the list, there is little change in its management and conservation to be observed.
Bridgewater and Kim therefore call for action by the convention. In its next fifty years, the convention can thrive if it links better with other global processes, reduces its focus on sites while ensuring better management of those already established, and develops a stronger focus on 鈥榳etscape鈥 approaches for wetlands to help mitigate against global change, especially in 鈥榖lue carbon鈥 environments, uniquely covered by the convention.
Publication
Bridgewater P., Kim R.E., 2021. , Nature Ecology & Evolution.