MESSAGE FROM THE IBRRI CHAIR

Dear IBRRI Partners,

Welcome to the first issue of the Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI) Newsletter.  I am pleased to launch this new communication channel to highlight the essential conservation work in Ramsar sites and other wetlands in the IBRRI Region. The Indo-Burma Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI) was endorsed in June 2016 as one of the 19 global Ramsar Regional Initiatives. It encompasses the five countries in the region: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. IBRRI aims to support the effective implementation of the Ramsar Convention in the Indo-Burma Region.

From 26 to 28th of February, members and partners gathered in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the Third Annual IBRRI Meeting. Participants discussed a range of topics, including plans for Ramsar site designations, wetland invasive species, site management and communication approaches for wetlands conservation. The five IBRRI governments plan to nominate at least 18 new Ramsar sites in the coming years, an impressive increase from the current number of sites.

The IBRRI meeting was likely the last in-person international gathering that participants attended before COVID-19 led to the closure of borders throughout the region. Though the IBRRI countries have avoided major outbreaks thus far, COVID-19 has had a devastating economic impact, with unemployment affecting millions. As the economic impacts and job loss continue, communities will become increasingly dependent on the range of ecosystem services provided by wetlands. Around the world, national programmes to “build back better” have underscored the importance of conserving nature to protect people, and wetlands in the Indo-Burma region are no exception.

I hope that subsequent issues of the newsletter can act as a platform to share stories about strengthening wetlands conservation through projects and policies that safeguard ecosystems and communities. The IBRRI Steering Committee welcomes newsletter contributions from all members, through articles, new publications, photos, videos or newly developed conservation tools for Ramsar sites and wetlands.  

We look forward to your contributions.

DR. SREY SUNLEANG                                                                                                     Chair, IBRRI

The lake is the second largest in the country, supporting over 75 species of migratory waterbirds. Threatened species such as the critically endangered Baer’s Pochard and the vulnerable Sarus Crane have been recorded at the site.

Located in Kien Giang Province, Viet Nam, U Minh Thuong (UMT) National Park was designated as a Ramsar site in 2015. It is one of the two protected areas in Viet Nam that preserve the last remnants of peat swamp ecosystems in the Mekong Delta. UMT National Park is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Viet Nam and was declared as an Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Park. The climate change vulnerability assessment for U Minh Thuong highlighted ecosystems, species, and livelihoods under threat from climate change impacts, including saline intrusion and increased temperatures negatively affecting the peat swamp.

Founded in 2002, the University Network for Wetland Research and Training in the Mekong Region, or Mekong Wetland University Network (MWUN), is a consortium of 24 major universities from seven countries in Southeast Asia. The main goals of the Network are (1) to jointly provide training on wetland science to university researchers and wetland managers and (2) to organise regional research projects.

To date, MWUN has organised 20 regional and national training courses for more than 500 participants. The Network implemented six regional research projects, the largest of which involved 10 universities with the participation of more than 80 researchers.

Since 2018, MWUN has partnered with IUCN and the International Crane Foundation to implement a wetland training program in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam. The programme has provided training for 120 managers of protected wetlands. The programme will also organise two transboundary study tours for wetland managers. The participants will visit wetlands in the IBRRI region to learn about different wetland ecosystems and share experiences in wetland management. MWUN recently received a research grant from the SUMERNET to conduct research on the roles of natural wetlands in water security in the Mekong region. The study will take place from 2020-2022.