The Workshop on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands in the Lower Mekong River Basin brought together government officials, Ramsar Site managers, NGOs and relevant experts from the area to share experience concerning the wise use of wetlands in the region.
15 September 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have released the report of a workshop held to assist the Government of Laos to implement the Convention.
The workshop was organized by the IUCN Mekong Water Dialogues and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, together with additional support from the Ramsar Secretariat. It took place from 21-25 March 2011, in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The event brought together government officials, Ramsar Site managers, NGOs and relevant experts from the Lower Mekong River Basin to share experience concerning the wise use of wetlands in the region.
Workshop sessions covered the following seven topics: working with local communities; the management planning process; wetland habitat management and monitoring; Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) and tourism programmes; national inventory of wetlands and their values; national regulations, guidelines and mechanisms; and opportunities for national and regional cooperation. [Publication: Workshop on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands in the Lower Mekong River Basin]