Side event details
Signatories to the Convention on Wetlands recognise the fundamental importance of wetlands to human wellbeing, sustainable development and climate mitigation and adaptation. As such, Contracting Parties are committed to carrying out National Wetland Inventories and over the past years there has been good progress with many more Contracting Parties completing National Wetland Inventories. However, more Contracting Parties still need to complete a National Wetland Inventory and some have not yet started on the journey to doing so.
As highlighted in the Convention on Wetlands Strategic Plan 2016-2024, under strategic goal 3 – wisely using all wetlands, target 8 - National Wetland Inventories are a key tool for effective policies and actions of the Convention on Wetlands mission: the conservation and effective management of all wetlands. Without a National Wetland Inventory, Contracting Parties will find it very challenging to ensure the effective management of wetlands. The Secretariat has a mandated role as co-custodian of SDG Indicator 6.6.1 to track global wetland status and trends, which helps to measure progress toward SDG 6. In line with Resolution XIII.7 on Enhancing the Convention’s visibility and synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements and other international institutions and Decision SC57-47 on wetland inventories, the Secretariat continues working with Contracting Parties to complete information on wetland extent.
In this context the side event will contribute to COP14 discussion and its outcome is to present the progress of Contracting Parties and partners on wetlands inventories showcasing best practices in Barbados, Costa Rica, Norway, Myanmar and Uganda and the new toolkit on wetlands inventories developed by the Secretariat for use by Contracting Parties that includes best practices and addresses the identified gaps in knowledge through the provision of guidance, support and resources including Earth observation tools to complete wetland inventories and report on wetland extent. The side event will also inform on the strategy for support to Contracting Parties in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean that have not yet conducted or completed an NWI.