Site Monitoring and the Ramsar Convention
Kuala Lumpur, 2-4 November 2009
Attended by Rose Au, funded by MNS HQ
Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam presented about birding projects in their individual countries.
Most Important IBAs in Malaysia:-
Bako-Buntal Bay (3,590ha)
2009-2012 government approval to work. Surrounding Bako National Park, Mt Santubong. CEPA: Communications, Education Participation and Awareness. Involved with LimKwokWing and Swinburne. Now 6 Ramsar sites in Malaysia. The biggest one is in Kinabatangan.
Bako-Buntal Bay is to be designated as Ramsar site in 2 years time in 2011. Malaysia and Thailand continue with projects for 2 more years under the Ministry of Environment, Japan.
National and Regional Planning.
Participation in Asian Waterbirds Census (AWC): Coordinator, Participant, Does not participate.
Roles and Responsibilities
Tools, materials, assemble and source donors for participating countries. There should be officers at Birdlife to answer queries.
Source for funds
Training on IBA Monitoring/
Recruit volunteers (government agencies, fishermen Associations, Fisheries, Agriculture.
Form an IBA Team (no more than 4 pax.)
Actions
Target Date
Person Responsible
Who else supports within Organisation?
Resource Needed (support from Secretariat & Partners).
Main topic of the Conventions was on IBA Monitoring by Mike Crosby, UK
What are birds doing?
What are the threats?
How to solve these threats?
Presently, monitor by data base automatically. Assessing and scoring threats (pressure).
Asian Waterbird Census
Location
Time
Personnel
Data must be valid and simple to convince grant agencies to accept.
Main topics:
Wetlands
IBA Monitoring
Asian Waterbird Census
Audience comment
Should demonstrate case studies rather than provide long pages of procedures.
SWOT Exercise: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Identify strengths/weaknesses of IBA Monitoring and how to harmonize IBA Monitoring with Asian Waterbird Census.
Summary
Decide site code No. There must be a references for 1) IBA; and 2) Asian Waterbird Census.
World census in wetlands. While the statistics look good for the Ramsar sites, does that necessarily correspond to the protection of wetlands dependent birds?
For the Action Plan, all participating countries’ comments will be incorporated and given to participants. (Rose Au did not submit comments because I missed the target date of 15th November 09).
www.birdlife.org/action/change/ramsar/ibasramsarasia.html
www.ramsar.org
Conclusion
The Workshop’s main aim was to get participating countries’ input on how best to obtain data effectively at birding sites and then revise the existing IBA Monitoring Form for everyone’s use in future, so as to make monitoring more accurate. Secondary to that was touching on the Ramsite Convention’s policies and legal framework.
Rose Au 30.ll.09
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