Wise Use of Our

12 November 2014 Dr. Christopher Briggs Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971) Why do wetlands matter to us?

400 million people live within, and depend on, wetlands

7 billion of us need the water and other services they provide

All of us take pleasure from wetlands

The world simply cannot do without them Wetlands give us our water – every day

• All the water we collect and use comes from wetlands • UN predicts a 40% shortfall in resources by 2030 for almost half the world • Today, 783 million people live without access to the basic services of clean water • Increasing risks to water and food security are risks to the security of all Wetlands provide us with essential goods, services and benefits

Transport Food Fishing Hunting Leisure The situation is dire

• 64% of the wetlands have disappeared since 1900 • Loss has been 4 times faster in the 20th century • World population growth is driving an increasing demand on water • Wetlands are equated with wasteland • There is essentially zero public knowledge of the vital benefits that the ecosystem brings

And it is actually worsening: Wetlands Extent Index 1970-2008

40% of

wetlands lost

in the past 40

years

• Loss of freshwater wetlands worldwide from 1997-2011 valued at US$ 2.7 trillion per year Our priority must be: REVERSE THIS TREND

• Situation is similar to decline in rainforests • The key difference: there is a Convention on Wetlands • Need for a strategic focus: slow, stop and reverse this trend • Get attention from the world: there is a serious crisis and the Convention provides an umbrella for action • Bring in other partners to sign up for , and work towards, the overall mission of the Convention

Major drivers of loss and degradation

• Conversion to agriculture • Infrastructure development and urbanization often focussed on river valleys and coastal areas • Water diversion (dams, dikes, canalization) • Water pollution and degradation due to dumping of waste, fertilizers and other chemicals • Development pressures and impacts from climate change How do we affect major drivers of wetland loss and degradation?

• Increase water productivity and efficiency in agriculture, including fertilizers and adapted crops and varieties • Incorporate natural infrastructure into our development • Secure water supplies for cities with PES, Water Funds • Work towards better water budget balance across sectors • Support and aid better governance where risks are highest • Restore wetlands for more resilience to climate change Ramsar mission

“Conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.” The context: Sustainable Development

• Our new Strategic Plan is being prepared while the world prepares the Sustainable Development Goals • In the current draft, wetlands are implicitly or explicitly mentioned within 7 Goals and 27 Targets • Wetlands are central to the provision of multiple ecosystem services that underpin our future development • The world must strive to achieve the SDGs as it did for the MDGs • Our new Strategic Plan must inspire and bring the world onto our side to fight for the future of Wetlands and for all our futures Overall aim for Strategic Plan

Slow, stop and reverse the trend in wetlands loss and degradation. Proposed Goals for Fourth Strategic Plan

1. Effective management of Wetlands for Sustainable Development 2. International Cooperation to reverse the loss and degradation of Wetlands 3. Wise Use of Wetlands communicated and advocated around the world 4. Reduced risks to Water and Food security by better wetlands governance

WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE

 Our mission commits us to achieve global goals for humanity  The world needs wise use of all wetlands to survive and grow  We all work hard to fulfil the text of the Convention  But the mission of the Convention is far larger and needs far more partners, more commitments and more awareness  We depend on wetlands for our development and so we need to engage others that are driving to achieve sustainable development into our mission (cf Aichi Targets for Biodiversity)

Response: Global Partnership for Wetlands Restoration

• Launching Partnership at next Ramsar Conference of Parties in Punte del Este, Uruguay in June 2015 o 168 national governments and many other related stakeholders • Inspired by positive examples in the drive to reverse the loss in forests: o Bonn Challenge o Private sector “zero deforestation” supply chain commitments o UNFCCC-designed framework for mobilising finance and actions • One key difference in this situation: there is a Convention on Wetlands! o Duty to provide a central focal point that forests did not have

Parties: the drivers of the Convention

• 168 Parties means the Convention is amongst the world’s broadest • Gives Ramsar a global network presence on the ground • Each Party brings own unique perspective: o Priorities on the ground o Trade-offs between development and environment o Wise Use practically applied in local wetlands and Ramsar Sites

How are we doing so far?

• Largest network of internationally recognized areas has evolved over 43 years to cover 168 countries and over 200 million hectares (area larger than Mexico) across more than 2,100 Ramsar Sites • Parties work to effectively manage wetlands using wise use principles • Multiple benefits and services of wetland recognized in TEEB report • Cooperative relationships between Parties, Secretariat, STRP, IOPs, and Regional Initiatives, other partners, MEAs as well as the private sector • Highly respected guidelines and scientific papers produced by a global collaboration between volunteer scientists, Parties and others • Hope for the future in the recognition of role of wetlands in the SDGs The state of most Ramsar Sites is unknown

2,186 Ramsar Sites covering 208 million hectares, but…

Up-to-date No RIS RIS updates for >6 years 70% of Ramsar Sites have out-of-date information (older than 6 years)

11 Contracting Parties have No RIS designated 33 Sites without No RIS No RIS updates for updates for ever filling out the RIS >18 years >12 years We fear the situation may be worse

• 144 Ramsar sites out of a total of 2168 are currently described as being at risk of loss of ecological character by our Parties • However, World Heritage’s Conservation Outlook paper has found that between 30-40% of their 220 World Heritage Sites are facing significant threats to their character and globally important value (This includes 59 joint Ramsar and World Heritage Sites) • If those figures are applied to all Ramsar sites, up to 750 Ramsar Sites may be under threat from a range of different factors • We need to invest in investigation of the status of sites and concentrate more efforts on managing better and restoring degraded Sites The state of Ramsar Sites in

65 Ramsar Sites with a surface area of 8,319,886 hectares

22 Sites with recently updated RIS

No Sites on Montreux Record

Australia and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

• In 1975, Australia became the first Contracting Party to the Convention • On 8 May 1974, the was designated as the world’s first ‘Ramsar Site • There are 65 Ramsar Sites covering an area of 8,319,886 ha. This is about the same area as Austria or UAE • Australia has been a leader in the implementation of the Ramsar Convention to date, and we look forward to your support for the implementation of 2016-2021 Strategic Plan

Australian Ramsar Award Winners

• Banrock Station Wines (Wetland Site, 2002) for undertaking ten years of imaginative rehabilitation and management practices at their own complex of wetlands in the floodplain of the River Murray, in cooperation with Wetland Care Australia. • Prof. Max Finlayson (Recognition of Excellence, 2002) recognized for his great contributions both to the progress of wetland science and to the work of the Ramsar Convention, particularly in providing leadership to the work of the Convention's Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) • The Wetland Centre (Education, 2005) recognized for its pioneer role in the use of CEPA activities to achieve restoration and management, first of the Hunter Wetlands, and then expanding its activities and forging links with other centres through Australia.

Ramsar Sites in Australia with actual/possible changes in ecological character

Barmah Forest proposed ecological thinning where widening of the of the Red Gum Forest inlet channel is reported to have led to increasing salinity and change in ecology of the site

Ramsar Sites in Australia with actual/possible changes in ecological character

The Coorong, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland – The Site lies at the mouth of the Murray River and has deteriorated due to prolonged drought in the Murray River caused by decreased rainfall and water over allocation for agriculture and urban use.

Western Port Bay possible threat from oil spills etc from the proposed expansion of the Port of Hastings.

Ramsar Sites with actual/possible changes in ecological character

Ramsar Site Issue Concerns were raised regarding the possible change in ecological Coral Sea Reserves character for some critical ecosystem components. Investigation planned to determine if there has been a change in Gunbower Forest ecological character due to a sustained change Investigation planned to determine if there has been a change in Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes ecological character due to a sustained change Modification of nearby coal export terminal rail flyover. Site manager is investigating options to reduce the water levels in the Lake. Conflicting information about the ecological character of the Site requires further investigation. Has suffered from a reduction in inundation frequency, leading to declines in the diversity, distribution and health of key wetland vegetation communities. Response Strategy is being implemented. Ramsar Sites with actual/possible changes in ecological character

Ramsar Site Issue A report is being prepared on possible impacts of the January 2011 floods. Declining water quality has also been highlighted. Increased acidity reported in water quality monitoring. The Site has been Muir-Byenup System impacted by reduced inflows probably due to new plantations on former agricultural land and climate change. Narran Lake Nature Investigation planned to determine if there has been a change in Reserve ecological character due to a sustained change NSW Central Murray Formal assessment is being conducted to assess the state of the Site. Forests Dredging from Pt. Grey to Dawesville Cut, and construction of a housing Peel-Yalgorup system development on the edge of the Site. A formal assessment of continued deterioration in the tree health (River red gum and Black box trees) at the site was commenced in 2010. Towra Point Possible change being investigated by Australian and NSW governments. Proposed construction of the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm and its possible Western District Lakes impacts on the migratory waterbirds at the Ramsar Site. Thank you! Dr. Christopher Briggs Secretary General of Ramsar Convention