The World Wetland Network (WWN) and the Biodiversity Foundation have celebrated the presentation of the International Wetland Prize, within the framework of the side events of the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity that takes place in Nayoga, Japan.

Some of the spaces that have stood out are: Laguna La Cocha, in Colombia; Lake Natron, in Tanzania; Nakarsu is a member of the Jordan-Esque Wetlands in Japan and the lower Jordan River in Jordan among the ten winning wetlands.

The award is part of a project of the World Wetlands Network, which has the collaboration of the Biodiversity Foundation. Its main objective is to establish an international programme for the recognition of good management experiences and thus have standards that allow progress in wetland restoration to be assessed. It is a tool that allows us to sound the alarm in cases where protection efforts are clearly insufficient to reverse adverse situations of wetlands in danger, and thus ensure their ecological and social sustainability.

The winning initiatives have been chosen for showcasing best practices in wetland management and the best restoration plan for endangered wetlands. There is no cash endowment but a commitment on the part of WWN to make these projects known worldwide through the edition, publication and dissemination of their results in three languages: Spanish, English and French, and their subsequent incorporation, with their identified priorities for action, in WWN’s Strategic Plan 2010-2015.

In addition, community leaders from the most prominent cases are presenting their experiences today in Nagoya and will do so again in the framework of the 11th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Global Convention on Wetlands – RAMSAR (Romania, 2012).

As a result of the call for the Award, it has been possible to create a database with the 500 organizations registered in the World Wetlands Network, and the analysis of this will provide an overview of the state of wetlands from the perspective of civil society and the role of NGOs in the conservation and rational use of wetlands.

Complete information about the prizes awarded will be available throughout the afternoon today on the www.wwt.org.uk website.