15 April 2013: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) and Conservation International (CI) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the sidelines of the 46th meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee to provide a framework for future cooperation.

According to the MoC, cooperation between the two organizations will focus on, inter alia: the development of a Global Wetland Observing System (GWOS), also in collaboration with Wetlands International; the development of a global Watershed Health Index to synthesize information from GWOS and other sources; application of information about Ramsar sites to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)/CI assessments of the conservation status of freshwater species, for identification of priority freshwater and key biodiversity areas; demonstration of the role wetlands can play in climate change mitigation, nature-based adaptation, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and mitigation; collaboration on case studies showcasing the valuation of ecosystem services provided by wetlands; promotion of ecosystem-based approaches to policy and decision making processes that affect the wise use of wetlands and their integrity; the promotion of means to help resolve water supply and security issues through improved inland waters management; and provision of scientific knowledge on thematic areas of work of the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP), including on wetland status assessment, climate change and ecosystem valuation. [Ramsar and Conservation International MoC]