IUCN Position Paper for Ramsar COP15
As the Conference of the Contracting Parties meets for the 15th time, the urgency to accelerate wetland conservation and restoration has never been greater to ensure continued climate regulation, water purification, flood control, and to protect the livelihoods of over a billion people who rely on wetlands for food, income, and cultural identity.
In this context, the adoption of the Fifth Strategic Plan for the Convention will be decisive to address the crisis facing freshwater biodiversity and ensure that wetlands continue to provide valuable ecosystem services for nature and people.
IUCN urges Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to:
- Conclude negotiations in a spirit of collaboration and compromise for an ambitious Strategic Plan of the Convention on Wetlands 2025-2034.
- Set clear goals and targets, and a strong, measurable indicator framework aligned with other international reporting frameworks.
- Explicitly align the Strategic Plan with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Strengthen effective management of wetlands of international importance by improving governance, coordination, and technical capacity at all levels.
- Embed wetlands in national development planning and increase regional and transboundary cooperation.
- Develop a dedicated Resource Mobilization Plan for Wetlands, aligned with the Rio Conventions and integrate wetlands into national climate and biodiversity finance strategies to leverage international funding and prioritize innovative finance.
Citizen science, also called community science, is a common term for a wide range of participatory…
