 secretary general of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat |
Staff Reporter
The upcoming Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands in Changwon, South Gyeongsang will be the biggest and the best ever, said Anada Tiega, the secretary general of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Wednesday.
Tiega is visiting Korea to check on the preparation for the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on the Wetlands. It will take place Oct.28-Nov. 4 in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. ``(I am) deeply satisfied with the preparation and Post-Ramsar plan,'' he said.
The Convention is held every three years to discuss challenges, achievements and recommendations to protect wetlands among 158 member countries.
Since wetlands cover a vast range of nature from rivers and peat-land to dams or artificial reservoirs, the convention will be a festival of all environmental issues, officials from the Ministry of the Environment said.
In this years' convention, they will adopt a ``Changwon Declaration'' under the main theme of ``Healthy Wetland, Healthy People.'' They will also adopt a resolution on the enhancement of biodiversity in rice fields as wetland systems. These two will be key to raising the status of Korea internationally.
Tiega said everyone in the world including Koreans could become interested in the benefits wetlands bring such as the preservation of biodiversity, mitigation of climate change, flood control and soil stabilization. He said these issues are crucial to everyday life.
According to studies, peat-land contains about 40 percent of the earth's carbon dioxide. ``Just simply destroying them would release all the greenhouse gas into the air, accelerating climate change,'' he said.
However, he was cautious about each government's decision to develop such wetlands.
Regarding the Korean decision to allow reclamation of coastal wetlands in South Gyeongsang Province to build shipyards, he said the Convention does not oppose all development.
He disclosed that the office tried to contact the Korean government but declined to speak about the response. He only added ``I am happy to see that the Korean government has opened up consultations with local civic groups.''
Tiega is from Niger, Africa. He took office as the secretary general in August 2007 after being the regional coordinator for Africa for the Ramsar Convention and national director of wildlife and fisheries in Niger.
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, commonly known as the Ramsar Convention, was first adopted in Ramsar, Iran on Feb. 2 1971 and was put into effect in December 1975.
Korea gained membership in 1997 with eight registered wetlands including Changnyong Upo Wetland in South Gyeongsang Province, Jangdo Island High Moor in South Jeolla Province and Mulyeongari-oreum on Jeju Island.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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