The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 155 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1675 wetland sites, totaling 150 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.(http://www.ramsar.org/)

《拉姆薩爾公約》參與國家現況：締約國家155個，國際重要溼地1675片，溼地總面積150,249,331 公頃

Number of Contracting Parties: 155
Number of sites designated for the List of Wetlands of International Importance: 1675
Total surface area of designated sites: 150,249,331 hectares (http://www.ramsar.org/)

米埔溼地

《拉姆薩爾公約》評選準則

• 該濕地是一片天然或接近天然的濕地 ，並具備一個或多個生物地理區域的特徵。

• 該濕地是一定數量的稀有、易危或瀕 危動植物物種的棲身之所。

• 有超過20,000隻水鳥在該片濕地棲息。

• 其中一種於 該濕地棲息的水鳥數量佔全球總數的1%以上。

米埔符合拉姆薩爾濕地準則的特點

• 后海灣及米埔一帶擁有中國沿岸現存第六大紅樹林，及廣東省最大的蘆葦叢生境之一。

• 在米埔曾錄得12種瀕危水鳥，更有接近20 種科學界首次發現的無脊椎動物。

• 經常在米埔越冬的水鳥超過20,000 隻，1996年1月在米埔及后海灣一帶的濕地更錄得超過68,000隻水鳥的紀錄。

• 11 種在米埔棲息的水鳥的數目達全球總數的1%以上，此外，全球有23%的瀕危鳥種黑臉琵鷺 Platalea minor 在米埔越冬。

米埔溼地

米埔溼地

締約國如何履行《拉姆薩爾公約》的責任？

締約國除需要管理拉姆薩爾濕地外，還須竭力保護國內的其他濕地。根據公約第三條，締約國政府有責任「於策劃國家的土地使用計劃時，把濕地保護列入考慮範圍，並於制定及推行這些土地政策時，儘可能提倡善用國內的濕地」。

為實踐「善用濕地」的概念，公約鼓勵締約國與人民共同制定國家濕地政策，政府也應成立國家濕地委員會，統籌所有使用濕地的決定。在這個「善用濕地」的概念下，應以不妨礙濕地的持續使用為原則，在這些拉姆薩爾濕地上進行有限度的活動，例如養魚業、低密 度的康樂活動等。

加入拉姆隡爾公約條件(資料來源：拉姆隡爾公約網站http://www.ramsar.org/)：

According to Article 9.2 of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), "Any member of the United Nations or of one of the Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or Party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice may become a Party to this Convention". Unfortunately, supranational bodies, such as the European Commission, are thus not eligible to join the Convention, but may nevertheless develop bilateral working agreements with the Convention secretariat.

In order for a country to accede to the Convention, signatures and the deposit of the instrument of ratification or accession are to be made with the Depositary for the Ramsar Convention, the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 7, place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, France, with a copy to the Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs at the same address. The instrument of ratification or accession must be signed by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. (A copy of all communications to UNESCO should be sent to the Convention secretariat (Ramsar Bureau).) UNESCO will then notify the Ramsar Bureau and all other Contracting Parties of the new Party's accession.