Participants discussed issues related to wetlands, migratory species and climate change, calling for guidelines on the type of wetlands that were most vulnerable to climate change and measures to protect these ecosystems.
They also stressed the need to strengthen collaboration with other conventions, mainly the UNFCCC and CMS.
14 December 2011: The Fifth Pan-American meeting of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) focused on issues to be addressed by the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Ramsar Convention, to be held in Bucharest, Romania, from 6-13 July 2012.
The meeting took place in Kingston, Jamaica, from 6-10 December 2011, and was hosted by the Ministry of Housing, Environment and Water and the National Environment and Planning Agency. Participants assessed progress made in the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2009-2015 of the Convention in the Americas, and reviewed experiences in the region regarding the achievements of the commitments agreed to by the Contracting Parties to the Convention during the last triennium.
They discussed issues related to wetlands, migratory species and climate change, calling for guidelines on the type of wetlands that were most vulnerable to climate change and measures to protect these ecosystems. They also stressed the need to strengthen collaboration with other conventions, mainly the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Participants also addressed the implications of climate change for the High Andean region, noting that the rapid melting of glaciers requires prompt action from all stakeholders. [CMS Press Release] [Meeting Website]