The newly-developed Arabic language wetland management planning training programme features components on: the importance of wetlands; the Ramsar Convention; criteria for the designation of Ramsar Sites; and the management planning of Ramsar Sites in an adaptive and interactive framework.
20 December 2012: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) has reported on a workshop to trial a newly-developed Arabic language wetland management planning training programme.
The workshop, which took place from 15-19 December 2012, at the Azraq Oasis Ramsar Site, Jordan, brought together 25 participants, mainly from the Ramsar Administrative Authorities and Ramsar International Organization Partners (IOPs) from across the Arab region in North Africa and West Asia. The training programme and the workshop were supported by the Government of Fujairah Municipality, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The training course and kit was developed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in Jordan, with technical support from the Fujairah Municipality, WWF Tunisia and the Ramsar Secretariat.
The course features components on: the importance of wetlands; the Ramsar Convention; criteria for the designation of Ramsar Sites; and the management planning of Ramsar Sites in an adaptive and interactive framework. The course is targeted to government officials, site managers and other relevant stakeholders who have a direct decision-making responsibility for the conservation or management of wetlands.
Comments received from the Azraq workshop will help further improve the training programme before it is rolled out in the Arab speaking region, Ramsar notes. [Ramsar Press Release]