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Bundesamt für Naturschutz

European Workshop on National Wetland Inventories

International cooperation
Workshop
Given the potential value of National Wetland Inventories for policy and management decisions, inter alia in the context of climate mitigation and adaptation as well as biodiversity conservation, this workshop will offer a forum for European Experts and Focal Points of the Convention on Wetlands to discuss their status, benefits, use as well as suitable methodological approaches.
Date, time
25.11.2024 (Mon) 09:00 
 
26.11.2024 (Tue) 16:00 
Venue
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation - Bonn
Organiser
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, European STRP Coordinator
Head
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, European STRP Coordinator
Target group
STRP and National Focal Points to the Convention on Wetlands
Event language
English

The workshop aims to: 

  1. support european countries in the development, implementation and/or updating of their NWI and identifying their respective needs and constraints; 
  2. offer a platform for knowledge sharing, including the exchange of good-practices and new developments in preparing NWIs, also with regard to new digital technologies; 
  3. explore NWIs potential in informing assessments of carbon storage and emissions in the context of STRP Task 2.1 “Wetland mapping and inventories to catalyse greater use of available methodologies for wetland carbon assessments”
Monday, 25.11.2024
Moderated by Irene Lautenschlager, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)
Session 1 Welcome, Introduction, Warm Up
09:00-09:10

Welcome remarks (virtual)

Elke Steinmetz, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany

09:10-09:30

Objectives of the workshop

Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst, BfN

Stephan Glatzel, University of Vienna, European STRP coordinator Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands

09:30-09:50

Existing NWI guidance and processes in the context of the Convention on Wetlands

Flore Lafaye de Micheaux, Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands 15 min + 5 min Q&A

09:50-10:25Getting to know each other: introduction of participants
10:25-10:45Health Break
Session 2 Developing, implementing and updating an NWI - Current state of NWIs across the European region
10:45-11:30

Panel session on country experiences

National wetland inventories in Finland (virtual)

Jari Ilmonen, Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland (5 min)

Inventorying wetlands with the MedWet method in Italy  Susanna d’Antoni, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) (5 min)

Business as usual, or...? Practical inventory of wetlands and its use in legal procedures in Serbia

Marko Tucakov, Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province, Serbia (5 min)

Turkish National Wetland Inventory and Database system

Serif Hizli and Serhan Cagirankaya, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Turkish Republic, General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (5 min)

followed by a moderated panel discussion
11:30-12:45

Group work on initial objectives, potential applications and lessons learned regarding the development, implementation and updating of NWIs

followed by a short presentation of group results in plenary

12:45-13:45Lunch Break
Session 3 – Developing, implementing and updating an NWI – Challenges, needs, solutions
13:45-14:00

Importance of hydrobiological data in NWI as a tool for tracking changes in wetlands health

Susanna Hakobyan, Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology of the National Academy of Science, Armenia

(10 min + 5 min Q&A)

14:00-14:15

Progress in National Wetland Mapping and Inventories made in the Mediterranean countries, with the support of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory and MedWet (virtual)

Anis Guelmami, Coordinator of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

14:15-15:15

oundtable on challenges, needs, solutions regarding the development, implementation and updating of NWIs

- 30 Years with the Ramsar Convention: Successes and Challenges of NWI in Armenia, Karen Jenderedjian, Ministry of Environment, Armenia (5 min)

Challenges in the development of NWI in Montenegro, Anela Sijaric, Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development of Montenegro (5 min)

State of wetland inventory in Georgia (virtual)

Salome Nozadze, Chief Specialist, Biodiversity and Forestry Department,

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (5 min)

NWI updating process in Austria, Stephan Glatzel, Professor of Geoecology at the University of Vienna, European STRP Coordinator for the Convention on Wetlands (5 min)

Participants prepare brief statements followed by an audience discussion
15:15-15:35Health Break
15:35-15:55

Earth observation techniques and tools: strengths and limitations in developing NWIs (virtual)

Iryna Dronova, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning, UC Berkeley, (15 min + 5 min Q&A)

15:55-16:15

Developing an NWI: Earth Observation for Wetland Inventories (EO4WI) – pilot country Italy Cécile Kittel, DHI Group

(15 min + 5 min Q&A)

16:15- 16:45Participants’ experiences with Earth Observations related to NWI, moderated discussion
16:45-17:00Closing, Take-Away
18:30Joint dinner
Tuesday, 26.11.2024
09:00-9:15

Welcome and Introduction to Day 2, Recap of Day 1

Irene Lautenschlager, BfN

Session 4 – Focus on carbon
09:15-10:30

Panel session on technical opportunities and limitations regarding the use of NWIs for wetland carbon assessments

Wetland mapping and inventories to catalyse greater use of available methodologies for wetland carbon assessments: technical opportunities and limitations

Stephan Glatzel, Professor of Geoecology at the University of Vienna, European STRP Coordinator, (15 min + 5 min Q&A)

Development of guidance to support further development of NWI and their use in national GHG accounts (virtual)

Ulrich Schwarz, STRP Consultant, FLUVIUS, Floodplain Ecology and River Basin Management, (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

The Global Wetland Center: Enabling technologies to reduce uncertainties around the carbon net balance of wetlands Christian Toettrup, DHI Group, (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

followed by a moderated discussion
10:30-10:50Health Break
10:50-11:05

Quantifying GHG emissions from German organic soils

Bärbel Tiemeyer, Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

11:05-11:20

Synergies with UNFCCC processes (virtual)

Alexandra Barthelmes, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology at Greifswald University, (10 min + 5 min Q&A)

11:20-12:30Group work on participants’ experiences regarding the use of NWIs for wetland carbon assessments: Opportunities, challenges and needs
Followed by a discussion of group results in plenary
12:30-13:30Lunch Break
Session 5 – Focus on new technologies and tools
13:30-13:50The Development of an online „Global Ecosystem Atlas“(virtual) Nicholas Murray, Lead Scientist - Group on Earth Observations (10 min + 5 min Q&A)
13:50-14:05

Data retrieval and new methodologies: paving the way to a new National Wetland Inventory for Portugal

Miguel Geraldes, Centre for Geographical Studies, University of Lisbon and Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests of Portugal

(10 min + 5 min Q&A)

14:05-14:15

Potential applications and challenges of using AI methodology (virtual)

Christian Schneider, BfN (5 min + 5 min Q&A)

Session 6 – Way forward: Conclusions, Recommendations, Next steps
14:15-14:45World Café on the Way Forward, part 1
14:45-15:00Health Break
15:00-15:25World Café on the Way Forward, part 2
15:25-15:50World Café-Synthesis of main conclusions and recommendations, next steps
15:50-16:00Closing Remarks
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