Wetlands for water and life

Putting community resilience into practice

Vera Coelho — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:34:00 GMT

At the halfway point in implementation of the Partners for Resilience programme (PfR), a wealth of initial successes and lessons learnt have been identified. Based on the PfR resilience vision of eight key principles, the partners have now gathered case studies that illustrate how this is currently being translated into practice.

Integrating ecosystems in resilience practice

Vera Coelho — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:33:00 GMT

The integration of ecosystems and natural resource management in disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been largely overlooked to date. This document introduces a set of criteria, which can be used by policy makers and practitioners to better integrate the management of ecosystems and natural resources in their DRR work.

Working with Nature

Vera Coelho — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:31:00 GMT

Millions of people around the world are vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards. Unsustainable management and use of ecosystems is often a root cause of such vulnerability. Wetlands International calls for better integration of approaches to disaster risk reduction, bringing together expertise from relevant sectors and making optimal use of the natural protection provided by ecosystems.

Building with nature for coastal resilience

Vera Coelho — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:03:00 GMT

This leaflet explains the concept of hybrid engineering as it relates to mangrove coasts. It provides a rationale for moving away from over-reliance on hard engineered structures, and moving towards working alongside and with nature for coastal resilience. The information contained in this leaflet can be used by policy makers and practitioners when considering options for coastal defence in tropical coastal regions.

Rivers by Design

Paul Brotherton — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:54:00 GMT

A step-by-step guide for planners, developers, architects and landscape architects on how to maximise the benefits of river restoration in development projects.

Cambio Climático

Sander Carpaij — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:07:00 GMT

Esta publicación de la Cruz Roja Nicaragüense es una guía popular sobre el cambio climático, edicón 2013. Esta publicación fue actualizada por la Cruz Roja Nicaragüense, a través del Programa Gestión de Riesgos de Desastres ante el Cambio Climático, implementado por la Alianza por la Resiliencia con el apoyo técnico y financiero de Cruz Roja Holandesa, Cruz Roja Italiana y Wetlands International.

Policy Brief on Indirect Land Use Change and Peatlands

Paul Brotherton — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:37:00 GMT

In this policy brief to the EU parliament and ministers, Wetlands International offers recommendations to effectively address indirect land use change emissions (ILUC) from peatlands. We also provide factual information on peatlands and greenhouse gas emissions and emphasise the following key points:

Biofuels production on peatlands increases greenhouse gas emissions
Indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions from peatlands are significant
Drainage of peatlands is unsustainable
EU rules on biofuels and proposals on ILUC are inadequate

Migratory Birds for People Newsletter 15 (Feb2013)

Teresa Zuna — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:58:00 GMT

Another year and a fresh “Migratory Birds for People” - newsletter to start with!

A lot of work is being done in protecting our migratory birds by implementing international treaties, by increasing enhanced scientific research and improvement of the management also by training programmes.

WSSG Newsletter 38

Bas Tinhout — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:34:00 GMT

The Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group is a network of woodcock and snipe specialist (both scientists and non-scientists) concerned with the study, monitoring, management and conservation of the woodcock and snipe species populations.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Water and Wetlands

Bas Tinhout — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:04:00 GMT

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), co-authored by Wetlands International, emphasises the enormous economic value of wetlands. TEEB For Water and Wetlands highlights the key role played by wetlands as natural infrastructure and the multitude of enormously productive services they provide around the world. The continued loss of wetlands illustrates the need for improved policy making and business decision making that accounts for their true value.

NGO black carbon letter to environment ministers

Bas Tinhout — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:03:00 GMT

NGO sign on letter directed to environment ministers of Arctic states to urge them to use the occasion of their historic second meeting to take significant action to reduce emissions of black carbon.

Wetlands of International Importance in Russia / Водно-болотные угодья России, имеющие международное значение

Maria Nosova — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:58:00 GMT

This book contains basic information on the 35 wetland sites designated by the Government of the Russian Federation for the List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971).

State of the Art Information on Mangrove Ecosystems in Indonesia

Nono Sutisno — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:20:00 GMT

Indonesia is a tropical archipelago with coastlines measuring a total length of 95,181 km, making it the country with the fourth longest coastline in the world (EarthTrends WRI, 2003, and Rompas, RM.2009). All along the coast are the estuaries of rivers great and small that flow the whole year round thereby enabling mangroves to thrive, particularly on shores sheltered from the waves, such as lagoons, deltas, coral and sand bars. Currently, Indonesia’s mangroves cover 30,000 square kilometres, 21% of the global total mangrove area, and contain 45 (not including introduced species) of the world’s 75 species of true mangrove (Spalding et al., 2010). As a result, Indonesia is known as the country possessing the most mangroves, both in terms of area and number of species.

Annual IWC Count Totals: African-Eurasian Waterbird Census

Tom Langendoen — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:09:00 GMT

This annual report summarises the totals per country per species of all waterbirds counted under the International Waterbird Census in the African-Eurasian region. The 2012 report includes counts from 72 countries between 2009 - 2012. The data in this report has been collected by thousands of individuals and collated by National Coordinators, whose names and organisations are listed in the file "Contributors".

Migratory Birds for People Newsletter 14 (Nov2012)

Taej Mundkur — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:17:00 GMT

The "Migratory Birds for People"-network is developing well and we have now started engaging the ‘scientific world’ with the network-programme. This newsletter provides an update news from the network and progress made during the meetings in September and 24th of October in Genk in Belgium (side meeting during the Eurosite / Europarc Annual Conference) and the launch of the Takern Centre in Sweden.

Challenges to the integration of wetlands into IWRM: The case of the Inner Niger Delta (Mali) and the Lobau Floodplain (Austria)

Bas Tinhout — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:18:00 GMT

The authors recognize that wetlands are poorly integrated in river basin management. Governments that endorsed the Ramsar Convention recognise the importance of the wetlands in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) using the "critical path" approach but is not widely implemented.

AWC Newsletter 19 (Dec 2012)

Taej Mundkur — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:37:00 GMT

AWC Newsletter #19, of Dec 2012 brings you up to date on progress of the AWC network over 2012 and looks ahead at 2013.

Los impactos de las urbanizaciones sobre los humedales del Delta del Paraná

Francisca Ocretich — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:21:00 GMT

Con este folleto se trata de mostrar como las acciones que alteran el régimen hidrológico de un humedal modifican drásticamente sus características ecológicas y producen graves impactos que comprometen el bienestar y los modos de vida de las comunidades locales y de las poblaciones vecinas que habitan su área de influencia.

Iniciativa de la “Ecosystem Alliance”

Francisca Ocretich — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:59:00 GMT

Este folleto muestra el objetito de la Iniciativa de la Ecosystem Alliance en Argentina.

Surveillance of wild waterbirds for Avian Influenza viruses in Lithuania

Tom Langendoen — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:10:00 GMT

This a new paper on avian influenza in wild birds in Lithuania that was recently published in Lithuanian Journal of Veterinary.

Storm Surge Reduction by Mangroves

Sander Carpaij — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:47:00 GMT

Mangroves can reduce storm surge water levels by slowing the flow of water and reducing surface waves. Therefore mangroves can potentially play a role in coastal defence and disaster risk reduction, either alone or alongside other risk reduction measures such as early warning systems and engineered coastal defence structures (e.g. sea walls).

Closing the emissions gap with peatlands

Vera Coelho — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:51:00 GMT

This media briefing provides some background information on how peatland restoration and conservation action, stimulated by UNFCCC incentives, could significantly contribute to closing the so-called “emissions gap”.

A vision for the practice of risk reduction

Paul Brotherton — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:51:00 GMT

Wetlands International is working closely with Red Cross, Cordaid, Red Cross Climate Centre and CARE to implement a range of activities in Asia, Latin America and Africa to increase people's resilience against (climate related) disasters via ecosystem restoration and management. Together we have formed the “Partners for Resilience” (PfR).

Peatlands – guidance for climate change mitigation by conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable use

Susanna Tol — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:16:00 GMT

This is the second edition of the publication that informs on management and finance options to achieve emissions reductions and enhance other vital ecosystem services from peatlands.

Saving peatlands (brochure)

Sander Carpaij — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:40:00 GMT

Peatlands support millions of people around the world, store twice as much carbon as all forests worldwide, and are home to many threatened species of plants and animals. Peatland degradation has devastating economic and social consequences. Wetlands International promotes global and national land use practices and policies that counter peatland destruction and degradation, promote conservation incentives and support local communities.