Deadline: 31-May-21
The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands has the honour to announce the call for nominations for the eighth edition of the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards, to be presented at the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) in Wuhan, China.
The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards recognize and honour the contributions of individuals, organizations, and governments around the world in promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
They were established at COP6 in 1996 through Resolution VI.18, and have been awarded seven times.
The eighth edition will be awarded at COP14, which will take place in Wuhan, China in 2021.
Categories
Three Awards will accordingly be granted in the following categories:
- The Award for Wetland Wise Use, rewarding a person, project, programme or policy that has made a significant documented contribution to the long-term sustainable use of wetlands, either at specific wetlands (including Wetlands of International Importance) or on a broader scale, and which can be replicated elsewhere. Nominees will be favoured which demonstrate outstanding achievement in meeting one or several of the following criteria:
- Demonstrable positive outcomes of sustainable wetland practices;
- Demonstrable overall benefits in the area where activities are being implemented;
- Demonstrated use of the ecosystem approach within a sustainable development context;
- A mission and purpose that relates directly to the conservation of wetlands and the communication of its importance;
- Replicability of the approaches and outcomes; and
- Reconciliation of sustainable resource use practices with long-term wetland conservation objectives.
- The Award for Wetland Innovation, rewarding a person, project, programme or policy that has contributed to the conservation and wise use of wetlands through an innovative technique or approach. Nominees will be favoured which demonstrate innovative actions supporting the conservation and wise use of wetlands, whether through new techniques or new approaches, which meet one or several of the following criteria:
- An innovation, which is truly a new concept rather than a variation of an existing one;
- The demonstrable usefulness and impact of the innovation;
- Its demonstrable applicability, practicality, and replicability; and
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Wide recognition of the innovation.
- The Award for Young Wetland Champions, rewarding a young person or a group of young people that has contributed to the wise use of wetlands, through activities including but not limited to awareness raising, campaigning, restoration and other conservation efforts. For the purpose of this Award, people between 18 and 30 years old or groups with members and leader between 18 and 30 years old at the time of the nomination will be considered. Nominations will be assessed against the following criteria:
- Individuals nominated should be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of nomination. The members and leader(s) of nominated groups should be within the same age range. Dates of birth will be requested.
- A proven and documented record of achievement in activities or projects on the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These may involve community work, research, awareness raising, restoration work, or any other activity undertaken to benefit wetlands.
- The activity or project should clearly refer to the mission of the Convention on Wetlands.
- Projects or activities should be in an advanced implementation stage to be considered.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individuals and groups of all nations are invited to nominate individuals, institutions (including government institutions and non-governmental organizations and community groups), or private companies, of any nation.
- Nominees must be alive at the time of nomination. Awards will not be given posthumously.
- Self-nominations will not be accepted.
- Individuals, groups or organizations previously involved or currently involved in legal proceedings will not be eligible.
- Nominations of current members of the Standing Committee, members and invited experts of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel, and Secretariat staff members will not be accepted.
Criteria
- The selection of nominees and Award winners will be based on the satisfaction of several of the following criteria:
- A proven and documented record of achievement and success;
- A direct link between activities and the implementation of the Convention for the wise use of wetlands including the network of Wetlands of International Importance, whether locally, nationally, regionally or globally;
- The capacity of activities to be replicated, to inspire others or to serve as practical examples for others;
- The significance of achievements, regardless of the geographic scale of their impact;
- The demonstrable impact of activities on awareness of wetlands and their values and the services they provide;
- The clarity with which the nomination is presented and the activities and achievements described.
- Requests for study grants will not be considered.
For more information, visit https://www.ramsar.org/activities/2021-awards