Side event details

Exploring diverse mechanisms to boost civil society capacity and motivation for wetland conservation, including the WLI Star Awards ceremony celebrating excellence in CEPA 

Addressing the degradation, loss and wise use of wetlands requires collaborative action across society. Civil society, including local community associations, charities and other voluntary groups, plays a critical role in this. This side event explores several mechanisms to motivate, resource, and bring together civil society groups to optimise their work towards the aims of the Convention on Wetlands. 

First we will launch the results of the latest World Wetland Survey (WWS). This is a citizen science programme that brings together scientists and civil society to collate and present information on the factors influencing the area and state of wetlands around the world. The survey empowers civil society groups to highlight the pressing issues facing their sites and can be a valuable way for Contracting Parties to gain wider perspectives on conservation priorities in their regions.  

We will also showcase examples of locally-led responses to some of these wetland conservation challenges around the world, while discussing the value of creating mechanisms that enable truly bottom-up responses, including small grants programmes for community associations and capacity building programmes. 

The session will culminate with a ceremony to award Star plaques to this year’s top 16 wetland centres for their excellence across 4 categories of good practice. Wetland Link International’s (WLI) Star Wetland Centre awards, showcase the best approaches to delivering CEPA activities at wetland sites. We reveal this year’s winners, inviting those countries in which the 16 winners are located (from all Ramsar regions) to attend and receive the awards.  

OUTCOMES:  A greater awareness of existing civil society programmes that help deliver elements of the Convention’s Strategic Plan, and the challenges and benefits of developing civil society initiatives. We are also targeting increased participation and use of the WWS and greater exposure (including media stories) to celebrate recognised excellence in wetland visitor centres.  

 

MODERATOR (S):  Mr Tomos Avent, Head, International Programmes, WWT, Ms Tina Redshaw, International Engagement Manager, WWT; Mr Suh Seung-Oh, Executive Director, Ramsar Regional Centre – East Asia;  

Programme (60 minutes) 

1. Opening remarks - welcome & overview of the event  (5 mins)  

2. Results of the World Wetland Survey and discussion of the future evolution of the survey (15 mins) 

3. Locally-led response – FAPBM and WWT Madagascar’s small grants fund (10 mins) 

4. Announcement of the Star Awards winners (5 mins) 

5. Representative of the judges to speak about judging the awards (5 mins) 

6. Presentation of the Award certificates to CPs of the countries of the winning wetlands (10 mins) 

7. Top 3 winners speak briefly about what it means to them to win the award (6 mins) 

8. Closing remarks (4 mins) 

 

Provisional speakers: Society of Wetland Scientists rep; FAPBM rep; WWT Madagascar Country Manager;  Star Awards judge - Jaleen West, Wildfowl Trust  Trinidad & Tobago or Eric Cuybahiro, Government of Rwanda. Short video comments from the top 3 winners.  (not a definitive list) 

 

Proposed participants are: Contracting Parties, IOPs, World Wetland Network members, capacity building agencies and funders, recipients of Star Awards/CP reps on behalf of those wetlands. 

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