• How important are wetlands globally for agricultural and fishery activities that support livelihoods and human well-being and has this been affected by the extent of wetland loss and degradation over the past few decades?
• What is the extent of wetland degradation and loss caused by water management and agricultural activities relative to other causes of adverse change in these ecosystems? How widespread and important are confounding causes of change?
• Can automated spatial techniques be used to rapidly assess the extent of agricultural activity and/or agricultural-induced degradation of wetlands taking into account an absence of knowledge in many regions about seasonal and inter-annual changes in wetlands (e.g. wetting and drying)?

Objectives

• To assess regionally the extent of agricultural and fishery activity in wetlands and provide an up to date multiple-scale data resource (inventory database) that can be used to assess (through risk and economic tools) the extent of spatial and temporal change in wetlands.
• To assess regionally the extent of wetland degradation as a consequence of water and agricultural management activities and provide an information resource for potential remedial or rehabilitation activities.
• To assess and develop automated techniques that can be used for mapping and delineating wetlands as a basis for ongoing assessment and monitoring.
• To develop and make available effective data management formats for wetland inventory and assessment, in line with international standards, and assist in the development of local capacity to use these effectively.

Methods

• The wetland inventory and mapping was undertaken initially through a project in Sri Lanka that has expanded to a regional scale as the initial analyses were successfully developed. The project involves the following steps:
• Analysis of existing literature and technical guidance and procedures to identify priority issues and best techniques, including research that may be required to affirm the veracity of the data collected by remote means.
• Development and confirmation of techniques suitable for consistent mapping (including delineation) and inventory at multiple scales in line with Ramsar resolutions, especially those dealing with multiple purposes and scales for integrated inventory, assessment and monitoring.
• Through partnerships initiate regional/local mapping and inventory projects at chosen scales and for priority purposes with the intent of combining these into an overview (e.g. proposals are under development for wetland inventory and mapping in southern India and Cambodia to complement those that were already in place through different projects in southern Africa).
• Compilation of updated regional wetland maps and data sources (e.g. an analysis of existing wetland inventories to provide a baseline for change detection and assessment of the extent of agricultural activities and adverse impacts) and the development of mapping, delineation and change detection tools as well as suitable data bases (e.g. for application in Sri Lanka) that are made available through the web and other means.
• Outline and develop capacity building opportunities in collaboration with partners and implementation of training priorities through partnership projects.
• Collaboration with the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel to develop suitable data resource/s and techniques for rapid inventory and assessment in line with best practice and research directions linked with the Conventions agriculture and wetlands program.

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