March 2009: The Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will hold its 15th meeting from 30 March-3 April 2009, in Gland, Switzerland. Participants are scheduled to establish a number of Thematic Work Area Working Groups and to identify their core membership, including one on “wetlands and climate change” to be chaired by Max Finlayson (Australia).

On the evening of 30 March, a briefing session will be held on climate change and wetlands, to discuss recent work and relevant initiatives, including: wetlands and the global carbon cycle; the Danone/Ramsar/IUCN wetlands and carbon offsets initiative; The Nature Conservancy nature-based adaptation initiative; and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report. Participants will also address, under the agenda item “other relevant issues and topics,” climate change guidance for site managers. [STRP Agenda]