Partners & Users of the Ramsar Sites Database

The Ramsar Sites Database has been developed by Wetlands International since 1990, as a service to the Ramsar Convention. Many partners of Wetlands International have been involved since inception, mainly as consultees concerning presentation, mapping, data analysis and in the publication of the hard copy Directory series. Wetlands International however, has used only official data supplied by Contracting Parties through the Ramsar Bureau (now Secretariat), including Site maps when available. We welcome linkage of other authoritative data sets to this official data.

Wetlands International is developing web-based tools for enabling open access to much of the official data, and these include web mapping, online databases, analysis tools and so on. Partners who hold complementary datasets are natural partners with Wetlands International to present wetland site and species data according to the BCIS principles (see the Biodiversity Conservation Information System http://www.biodiversity.org). Recently under a three way agreement between the Secretariat, Wetlands International and CIESIN (Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University at New York, USA), a "Ramsar Wetland Data Gateway" was established to link Ramsar Sites data with other data on socio-economics etc. through an on-line map viewer.

We welcome the development of more partnerships to add value to Ramsar Site data, and we now make available downloadable versions of the Database for third parties to integrate into their online presentations. We believe that through open partnerships the Ramsar Contracting Parties will have access to a wider range of analysis and assistance. Please contact us to explore partnerships.