A symposium in India has ended with recommendations to protect Asian wetlands and local communities at risk from tsunamis.

The Asian Wetlands Symposium, organized by Wetlands International, was held from 6-9 February 2005 in Bhubaneswar and Chilika, India. The meeting included technical sessions covering a wide range of relevant issues, including the wise use of wetlands, capacity building and education, partnerships and networking, the cultural values of wetlands and community-based management of the wetland ecosystem.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Chilika Statement, a declaration from participants calling for action to promote wetlands conservation and sustainable management. The Chilika Statement includes specific recommendations to support local livelihoods through the traditional knowledge base and eco-enterprises and to mainstream wetlands into sectoral development planning at all levels. It also recommends urgent action to rehabilitate coastal wetlands affected by the recent tsunami in order to restore the sustainable livelihoods of affected communities and to conserve biodiversity.
A special session held on the tsunami and coastal wetlands also resulted in recommendations for action, including the urgent need for coordinated and harmonized assessment of affected areas to identify where ecological restoration would be most effective.
Links to further information
The conference website
Chilika Statement
Recommendations from the special session on the tsunami