Abstract
This chapter examines the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the global intergovernmental treaty that promotes wetland conservation worldwide. When one is studying or seeking to protect a particular wetland, it is important to look beyond the wetland’s delineated borders. As discussed in Chap. 1, the health of a wetland is influenced by its placement in the landscape, the ecosystem services it provides, and the activities that occur within its watershed (e.g., development, agriculture). Focusing solely on the wetland site may result in missing the bigger picture. Similarly, when studying wetland policies, it is instructive to look beyond domestic regimes (i.e., national and local laws and policies) and consider global wetland policies. Parties to the Ramsar Convention address this through three main pillars of implementation: the ‘wise use’ of all wetlands, the designation and management of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), and international cooperation on management of shared resources and sharing of knowledge and information.
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Gardner, R.C., Davidson, N.C. (2011). The Ramsar Convention. In: LePage, B. (eds) Wetlands. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0551-7_11
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