Wetland Restoration News
Wetlands Australia - National Wetlands Update 2008
Source: Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts: http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/wetlands/wa16.html
Date: March 2008
The 2008 edition of Wetlands Australia was released on World Wetlands Day, 2 February. Wetlands Australia – National Wetlands Update 2008, Annual Update for Australia’s Wetland Community is an annual publication, of the Australian Government, bringing together information and resources from across Australia relating to wetlands conservation, management and education.
The following media release accompanied the launch of the Wetlands Australia – National Wetlands Update 2008.
Welcome to the 2008 edition of Wetlands Australia an annual publication bringing together information and resources from across Australia relating to wetlands conservation, management and education.
Wetlands are a vital part of our environment and are increasingly recognised for playing a unique role in managing and conserving the flow of water through both the rural and urban environments.
In Australia, drought has had a devastating effect on some of our wetlands.
Climate change also means the droughts and floods that have always characterised Australia’s climate are likely to be even more severe into the future.
With this in mind, it has never been more important that we protect our wetlands and manage them wisely.
Despite the prevailing drought, 2007 saw a number of significant achievements in the area of wetlands management. After many years of discussion and negotiation, the Paroo River Wetlands was listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Australia now has sixty-five wetlands listed under the Ramsar Convention, covering approximately 7.5 million hectares.
This year will mark the 10th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention. The conference will be held in the Republic of Korea towards the end of 2008 and we look forward to seeing Australia’s experts play a vital role in the conference.
This edition of Wetlands Australia comprised over thirty articles with contributions from all states and territories.
We commend the efforts of the many people working to effectively manage our wetlands across the country and hope this edition inspires you to continue with your hard work.
Senator the Hon Penny Wong
Minister for Climate Change and Water
The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
For More information:
Read the media release on the Australian Government Website:
Wetlands Australia – National Wetlands Update 2008
Read Wetlands Australia, National Wetlands Update 2008 on line:
Wetlands Australia National Wetlands Update – 2008 (PDF – 3532 KB)
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