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  2. [2024] National Wetland Inventory Training Programme Module 1: Introduction to National Wetland Inventories

[2024] National Wetland Inventory Training Programme Module 1: Introduction to National Wetland Inventories

Sunday, 08 September 2024 - 9:00am to Friday, 13 September 2024 - 5:00pm

Documents

Concept Note and Agenda (updated as of 11 September 2024)

 

Background

World’s wetlands are decreasing at an alarming rate, with 35% losses of natural wetlands since 1970, where data are available. Wetlands are being lost faster than forests, making them the most threatened ecosystem on Earth. At the same time, wetlands are essential to human wellbeing. We depend on wetlands for water, food, biodiversity, livelihoods and for protection against floods, droughts and extreme weather hazards, to build resilience of communities to climate change. The multiple benefits and services provided by wetlands are essential in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Data and information on wetland extent, condition and changes over time is critical to inform the necessary actions by governments and other actors to protect and sustainably use wetlands. An important mechanism is the development of the National Wetland Inventories (NWI), providing a foundation for wetland assessment and monitoring as well as planning and decision support. This is reflected in the Convention on Wetlands Strategic Plan 2016-2024, under strategic goal 3 – wisely using all wetlands, target 8 – “NWIs are a key tool for effective policies and actions of the Convention on Wetlands mission: the conservation and effective management of all wetlands”.

Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands have committed to provide data on the extend of wetlands, drawing from their NWI, as part of their National Reports which Parties submit to every Conference of Parties (COP).

The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) specializes in supporting the UN Member States in planning and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the 17 SDGs through knowledge sharing, capacity development, policy advisory, research, and partnerships. Recently, UNOSD has held workshop/training programmes to support the implementation of SDG 6, including the Regional Workshops in SDG-6 Policy Support System from 2019 and 2023.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands has joined in partnership with UNOSD to design and implement a series of training programme to support UN Member States / Contracting Parties to the Convention to develop NWI.

This multi-year programme will provide UN Member States with training and technical support to develop, apply and report their NWI, thus contributing to better capacity to implement the 2030 Agenda, specifically achievement of SDG Goal 6 and tracking SDG indicators 6.6.1, as well as support effective management of wetlands in their territories to fulfil their commitments under the Convention.

 

Course Overview

The training course on “Introduction to National Wetland Inventories’, Module 1 is an intensive 5-day classroom, practical and participatory training event. It’s the first module of a three-module training course dedicated to National Wetland Inventories that aim to support UN Member States and the Convention’s Parties to gain knowledge and know-how on how to undertake a National Wetland Inventory within an appropriate policy, scientific and technical framework.

The three training modules will be developed and proposed during 2024-2026, with the following focus:

  • Module 1: Introduction to National Wetland Inventories
  • Module 2: Earth Observation techniques and knowledge: best practices to support National Wetland Inventories
  • Module 3: Long-term ecological knowledge: managing and updating National Wetland Inventories

The objective of the Module 1 is to guide national authorities on how to create a scientifically robust National Wetland Inventory development process, incorporating an action-oriented data-flow approach with appropriate policy linkages. This module will also introduce participants to the existing guidance material that has been published by the Convention on Wetlands. Collection and management of data on inland, coastal and marine as well as human-made wetlands will be respectively addressed in this training.

The content of the course is designed for policy, scientific or technical officers, who are responsible for developing National Wetland Inventories or biodiversity- or water resources- related inventories.

The course will take place at the National Institute of Ecology, at Seocheon, Republic of Korea from 8 to 13 September 2024.

The course will be participatory and will provide participants with exposure to many different aspects of planning and conducting National Wetland Inventories. Participants will acquire the knowledge, skills and tools to identify, assess, define and apply national wetland inventory strategies and relevant data management plans. Fieldwork and workshops will be organised to allow participants direct engagement with knowledge production.

 

Organizers

This event will be organized by UNOSD and Secretariat of the Convention of Wetlands.

 

Programme and Agenda

Day 1 (9 September)

Welcoming Remarks

An action-oriented data process

  • Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Secretariat (delivered by Ms. Flore Lafaye de Micheaux)
  • Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of UNOSD, UN DESA
  • Mr. Do-Soon Cho, President, National Institute of Ecology

Why NWI? Objectives of the NWI training programme

  • Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Unblocking the flow of data for the effective conservation of wetlands & Introduction to NWI structured process

Wetland applications of Earth Observations & Participants’ experiences with Earth Observations

 

Day 2 (10 September)

Uncertainty in national wetland extents, workshop session

Objectives and core elements of a National Wetland Inventory

Global wetland data & maps

NWI experience in Costa Rica 

  • Ms. Jacklyn Rivera Wong, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica (Online)

NWI experience in China

  • Yuan Jun, Chinese Academy of Inventory and Planning (Online)

Approaches and Methodologies developed by the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory

Mediterranean countries’ feedback and lessons learned for NWI processes

NWI experience in Gabon

  • Mr. Jean-Hervé Mbeh, Ministry of Water, Forest, Sea and Environment, Gabon (Online)

 

Day 3 (11 September)

Wetland mapping classes, activity-discussion

  • Ms. Iryna Dronova

Ramsar wetland typologies

Inland wetland mapping with Earth Observation data and geo-spatial tools

Wetland hydrology and relevant data for NWI

Field trip to an inland wetland type in South Korea (Ungok Wetland) & NWI experience in South Korea

  • National Ecology Institute of Korea

 

Day 4 (12 September)

Introduction to coastal wetlands

Introduction to coastal wetland datasets, interactive lecture

Field trip to a coastal wetland type in South Korea (Gochang and Buan Tidal Flat)

 

Day 5 (13 September)

Inventorying human-made wetlands

NWI “obstacle courses”

Overview of the post-training support mechanism and assignment, discussion

  • Ms. Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Training workshop synthesis, discussion

  • Ms. Iryna Dronova

Concluding Remarks

 

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