Notification

The STRP has just released Policy Brief No. 7, titled 'Small Wetlands: Their Importance and Strategies for Effective Conservation”. This brief responds to Resolutions XIII.21 and XIV.15 of the Convention on Wetlands, synthesising emerging scientific evidence on the outsized ecological value of wetlands smaller than 8 hectares.

Despite their limited size, small wetlands provide essential ecosystem services, including biodiversity conservation, water purification, flood regulation, and climate resilience.

The brief provides targeted recommendations to help policymakers and wetland managers better integrate small wetlands into national inventories, conservation plans and policy frameworks.

A new Briefing Note from the STRP sheds light on the potential of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to strengthen wetland conservation. Briefing Note No.14 outlines how OECMs can be used to recognize and support wetlands that are not formally protected but still deliver long-term in-situ biodiversity outcomes.

The note provides step-by-step guidance, policy context, and examples to help countries align wetland management efforts with global targets—particularly the 30x30 goal under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

This resource is essential for advancing the wise use of wetlands through inclusive, landscape-scale approaches to conservation..

The STRP, in collaboration with the FAO eLearning Academy, has launched an online course titled "Wetlands and Agriculture: Pathways to Sustainability". This course delves into the relationship between wetlands and agriculture, highlighting their significance in achieving global food security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While agriculture benefits from wetlands, it can also adversely affect them through water overuse, habitat destruction, and pollution. The course emphasises sustainable agricultural practices in wetland areas, offering guidance for policymakers to integrate environmental management, strengthen policies, build capacity, and enhance cross-sectoral cooperation for sustainable agricultural development.

Course Highlights

• Audience: The course is designed for policymakers, government technical staff, small-scale producer organizations, civil society organizations, workers, and workers' organizations. It underscores the necessity of cooperation at all levels and between all sectors for the wise use of wetlands and their resources.

• Content: Structured into two lessons, each approximately 30 minutes long: Lesson 1: Sustainable agriculture to ensure the wise use of wetlands; and Lesson 2: Transforming agriculture to sustain people and wetlands.

• Learning outcomes: Participants will gain insights into the interactions between wetlands and agriculture, sustainable management practices in wetland areas, the wise use of wetlands globally, and strategies to foster dialogue between the agriculture and environmental sectors.
• Certification: Upon successful completion, learners can earn a digital badge by passing a final exam with a score of at least 75%.

A third module is under development, building on Task 3.3 of the current triennium under the STRP Work Plan. This module will provide practical guidelines to enhance ecosystem services, improve sustainability in agro-wetland settings, and address key challenges such as habitat connectivity and hydrological management.

At STRP27, progress was made toward the review of the Wetland Classification System, a cornerstone for wetland inventory, assessment, and conservation efforts under the Convention. This review, requested by the Standing Committee (Decision SC63-30), aims to ensure the classification system remains fit for purpose amidst evolving global challenges.

STRP27 initiated preparation of the Terms of Reference for the two-phase approach to the review:

• Phase 1: Initial Assessment – Focusing on gathering feedback from Contracting Parties, National Focal Points, and stakeholders. Early discussions to explore harmonisation with other global frameworks, such as the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology, and the potential integration of advanced mapping and monitoring technologies.
• Phase 2: Comprehensive Review – Aims to refine the classification system to better align with contemporary needs, including improved reporting on wetland extent and condition, enhanced inventory processes, and the incorporation of climate and ecosystem service data in wetland inventory.

Key discussions at STRP27 highlighted the opportunities to strengthen the classification system’s relevance by addressing inconsistencies, integrating hierarchical elements, and ensuring its applicability across local, national, and global contexts.

The STRP will continue its review of the Wetland Classification System during the 2026-2028 triennium, ensuring it remains a robust tool for wetland conservation and wise-use in the decades to come.

Contracting Parties, led by the Strategic Plan Working Group, are drafting the 5th Strategic Plan for the Convention on Wetlands, for consideration at COP15. In support of this process, the STRP produced an Information Paper (SC64 Inf.3) for discussion at Standing Committee 64 that introduced a proposed indicator framework for reporting on the Goals and Targets of the 5th Strategic Plan.

The preliminary advice included alignment with indicators applied in the previous 4th Strategic Plan and other international reporting processes, particularly the indicator framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity (KM-GBF) Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is noted. Disaggregation of the KM-GBF indicators for wetlands, for example, presents an opportunity to streamline reporting under the Convention on Wetlands and under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Further development of the indicator framework for the 5th Strategic Plan will be required and considering amendments to the Goals and Targets at COP15.

The meeting participants were informed, during a STRP27 brown bag lunch, about a forthcoming report being prepared by the Global Rewilding Alliance. The report has now been published and it highlights how wild mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates shape and sustain wetland ecosystems worldwide.

The report reveals how the decline of key species disrupts ecological balance and ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, water purification, and flood regulation.

The findings underscore the urgent need to integrate wildlife conservation into wetland management, particularly within the Convention on Wetlands framework, to restore ecological balance and resilience.

Thematic Work Areas for STRP work plan 2026-2028 are retained for consistency, based on alignment to the proposed Goals of the 5th Strategic Plan

Future priorities for STRP work plan 2026-2028 are identified, building on emerging issues identified in STRP report to SC63 (Annex 2)

Further details on proposed STRP priorities are included in the STRP report (SC64 Doc.18)

Recommends the establishment of the “Waterbird Estimates Partnership” (WEP) to ensure that high quality, up-to-date information on the sizes and trends of waterbird populations are available to Contracting Parties of the Convention on Wetlands and other stakeholders.

Resolution also requests the WEP, in consultation with the Secretariat and the STRP, to deliver the 2027 edition of the WPE (WPE2027) with a focus on the regions, flyways and populations most requiring updates (subject to the availability of adequate and timely resources).

Asks the Secretariat to amend the Strategic Framework regarding the use of waterbird population estimates to support the application of Criterion 6

Also asks the Secretariat to amend the Strategic Framework regarding the use of wetland-dependent non avian species to support the application of Criterion 9

Specific amendments to the Strategic Framework are outlined (Annex 1 and Annex 2).

The STRP Chair's report to the 64th Meeting of the Standing Committee (SC64 Doc.18) and the Chair’s report to COP15 (COP15 Doc.11) provides detailed updates on the progress of high-priority tasks outlined in the STRP Workplan 2023-2025.

Additional information on progress is also provided in the report of the 27th Meeting of the STRP. 

The next intersessional meeting of the STRP will be organised in the lead-up to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) - date to be confirmed. This virtual meeting will be organised to discuss and finalise STRP relevant outputs ahead of COP15 in July 2025.

COP15 will take place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 23 to 31 July 2025 and will consider the future implementation of the work of the STRP.