18 April 2011: The Ramsar Regional Center-East Asia, in conjunction with the Ramsar Center Japan (RCJ), Wetlands International China (WI China), Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), supported the Asian Wetland Management Forum, which was held from 17-19 March 2011, at the Rainforest Development Center in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

The Forum provided an opportunity for 58 participants from Japan, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, and Thailand to exchange information regarding wetland management in East and Southeast Asia. During the meeting, participants visited the mangrove forest at the mouth of the Kinabatangan River.

The workshop was divided into two sections, international and local. The international component had presentations from: Chen Kelin, WI China, on understanding the importance of wetland ecosystem services in a changing climate; Ruoergai, on peatlands conservation and restoration; Sanowar Hossain, Bangladesh POUSH, on the management of freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh; Pratheep Mekatitatm, WI Thailand, on the bioright approach in southern Thailand coastal regions (Ban Don Bay); and Tatsuya Togari, Fujimae Tidal flats in Japan, along with Reiko Nakamura from RCJ.

The local component of the workshop had presentations from: Christopher Matunjau, SFD, on the conservation of Klias Peatswamp Forest, Sabah; Denise Cheah, WI Malaysia, on the management of wetlands in Malaysia; Hj Hussin Tukiman, SFD, on the Sabah Forestry Department’s steps in managing Sabah Ramsar sites; and Motohiro Hasegawa, Japanese International Cooperation Agency–Malaysia Office, on the Ramsar management plan for the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands. Other presentations included those by Joseph Tangah, SFD, and Mohd Sofian, SWD. [Ramsar Press Release]