Management plans for individual sites'

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What difference do international designations
make?
Management plans for individual sites. Keynote
by Peter Bridgewater Secretary General, Ramsar
Convention.
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The Sustainability Diamond
HumanHealth
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Cultural Diversity
Ecological Health
Global Change
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Biological Diversity
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CCD
FCCC
Biosphere Reserves
RAMSAR
CBD
WHC
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IUCN Protected Area categories I. Strict Nature
Reserve/Wilderness Area II. National Park
III. Natural Monument IV. Habitat/Species
Management Area V. Protected Landscape/Seascape
(National Parks in Europe) VI. Managed Resource
Protected Area.
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A protected area is a part of the planet used
for the prime purpose of genetic, species and
land/seascape conservation and management. The
protected area may include cultural components,
appropriate sustainable use and benefit
sharing, and will be managed by the owners
through the most effective means to achieve the
conservation objectives.
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Natural ? I ? II ? III ?
VI ? IV V ? ? Agro ? R
ural ? Urban Artificial     IUCN
Protected Area Categories    
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 IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES FOR
PAS Ia Ib II III IV V VI SR
1 3 2 2 2 2 3 WP 2 1 2 3 3 - 2 S/GP 1 2 1 1
1 2 1 ECOS 2 1 1 - 1 2 1 N/VF - - 2 1 3 1 3 T
OUR - 2 1 1 3 1 3 EDU - - 2 2 2 2 3 ESU - 3
3 - 2 2 1 CV - - - - - 1 2   Key 1 Primary
objective 2 Secondary objective 3 Potentially
applicable objective - not applicable
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• Biosphere Reserves Who benefits?
• Local communities
• Scientists
• Ministers and Government decision-makers

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Ramsar Convention Oldest of the global
environmental conventions covers very wide range
of wetlands from coral reefs to mountains to
vast inland swamps Why the Ramsar Convention?
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147 Contracting Parties 1524 Wetlands of
International Importance - Ramsar sites
Largest global protected area network totaling
129.2 million hectares size from lt1 ha to gt6
million ha
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• Contracting Parties deliver the Conventions
• actions through 3 pillars
• Wise use of all wetlands, with
• Wetlands of International Importance
  (protected wetlands) at the heart, and
• International cooperation

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World Heritage Convention Managing properties
through the listing process. Both natural and
cultural sites, with also mixed sites Including
cultural landscapes.
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The concept of biocultural landscapes
all landscapes consist of a both a natural and a
cultural dimension. Tress et al. 2001.
we cannot understand and manage the natural
environment unless we understand the human
culture that shaped it. Our management itself
becomes thus an expression of that culture.
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Kakadu
WH IUCN Category II Ramsar (wetland edge)
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• A DIFFERENT APPROACH
• The ecosystem approach of the Convention on
  Biological Diversity is a new framework for
  integrated management of land, water and
  biological resources. This approach has 12
  principles.

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THE KEY PRINCIPLES

• Management objectives are a matter ofsocietal
  choice
• Management should be decentralised to the lowest
  level
• Management must recognise that change is
  inevitable

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• A way forward sustainability and reversibility
• Inevitable change
• Integrated management
• Societal choice
• Decentralised ways of working
• Ecosystem approach
• All relevant sectors and disciplines
• International and national
• Cultural, technological and environmental

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• 73 biosphere reserves and 82 Ramsar sites have
  been designated wholly or partly as both Ramsar
  sites and Biosphere Reserves, and with 32 sites
  have also been declared as UNESCO World Heritage
  Sites.

CAMBODIA Tonle Sap BR Ramsar siteBoeng Chmar
and Associated River System and Floodplain
NETHERLANDS Waddensea Area BR Ramsar
siteWaddenzee
CANADA Lac Saint-Pierre BR Ramsar siteLac
Saint-Pierre
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European sites

• Doñana (R, WH, BR, SPA, CoE Diploma)
• Waddensea (R, WH, BR, SPA, transboundary, not
  exactly the same size)
• Danube delta (R, WH, BR some differences, not
  large)
• Camargue (R, BR, SPA, twinned with Romanian BR )
• Fertö/Neusiedler Lake (R, WH - transboundary,
  cultural landscape)

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• Develop procedures for sharing and harmonising
  site mangement planning guidance and experiences,
  and ensure that the Ramsar toolkit of Wise Use
  Handbooks is made available to Biosphere Reserves
  managers and that the MAB guidelines on the
  implementation of the ecosystem approach are made
  available to Ramsar site managers.

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mechanisms for joint listing exist in many
countries Yet do not appear to always work
effectively because focal points guard role
with one convention lack of engagement from
other government sectors environment ministries
often less established than others.
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Conclusions

• Multiple site designations best when they target
  the specificities of the designations
• Management objectives can be targeted to the
  needs and requirements of the different
  designations
• A large area with several designations is best
  served by one management plan.
• All appropriate areas of government, as well as
  local communities should be involved in the
  planning process, to give effect to the
  designation.