TEXT 7. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND NATURE CONSERVATION: HABITAT PROTECTION (INCLUDING WETLANDS)
The protection of habitats and ecosystems is a necessary complement to the protection of species. Legal measures to protect biological diversity cannot succeed unless coupled with measures to provide appropriate conditions for the survival of the species in the wild. Such measures may include regulating the introduction of noxious substances or structural changes in the habitats of the protected species, or through the creation of protected areas. Land-use regulations can play an important role in this regard. Wetlands are particularly important; they play a vital role in the water cycle, helping to refill water tables and maintain water quality. They are highly productive ecosystems inhabited by large numbers of plant and animal species. Many marine species depend on coastal wetlands for their reproduction, growth, or nutrition during part or all of their life cycle. During recent decades state-sanctioned or even mandated drainage operations, as well as drought and landfill, have considerably reduced the extent of global wetlands. Several international conventions provide for habitat conservation, either in part or in whole. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Feb. 2, 1971) was the first treaty based entirely on the idea that habitat should be the focus of protection. Other treaties followed concerning marine areas. The 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage also can include the protection of the habitat of wild fauna and flora. Due to the importance of wetlands to the global environment, the Ramsar Convention has a significance that today far transcends its original objective of protecting waterfowl. The purpose of the Convention is to stop the loss of wetlands and to promote their conservation and wise use. State parties agree to formulate and implement planning to promote as far as possible the wise use of wetlands in their territory. The Convention requires each state party to designate at least one suitable wetland within its territory for inclusion on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, which is maintained by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The criteria of "international importance" provides that a wetland should be considered as a particularly good representative example of natural or near-natural wetland or a wetland that plays a substantial hydrological, biological or ecological role in the natural functioning of a major river basin or coastal system or supports an appreciable assemblage of rare, vulnerable or endangered plant or animal species. Other criteria include the habitat of plants or animals at a critical stage of their biological cycle, or for one or more endemic plant or animal species or communities. Inclusion of a site on the list does not prejudice the sovereign rights of the territorial state, but the state must conserve, manage and use wisely the listed wetland and migratory stock of waterfowl and fish. This includes establishing nature reserves and providing adequately for their wardening. States parties maintain the right to add wetlands to the list and extend the boundaries of those already included. In case of urgent national interests a state may also delete a wetland from the list or restrict its boundaries, but then it should compensate for the loss by creating additional nature reserves for waterfowl either in the same area or elsewhere. A state without a wetland ceases to be a party to the Convention. Agreements for the protection of regional seas, such as the protocols on specially protected areas and biological diversity in the Mediterranean (June 10, 1985), the East African Region (Nairobi, June 21, 1985, the South-East Pacific (Paipa, Sept. 21, 1989) and for the Wider Caribbean Region (Kingston, Jan. 18, 1990) contain provisions on the establishment of protected areas. The conservation measures required follow the same pattern. Special areas should protect coastal and marine ecosystems of adequate size to ensure their long-term viability and to maintain their biological diversity, habitats which are in danger of disappearing in their natural area of distribution, habitats critical to the survival, reproduction and recovery of endangered, threatened, or endemic species of fauna and flora and of sites of particular importance for their scientific, aesthetic or educational interest. The protective measures include, inter alia, a prohibition of dumping or discharge of wastes and other substances likely to directly or indirectly impair the integrity of the specially protected area, regulation of the passage of ships and any stopping or anchoring, regulation of the introduction of non-indigenous species, regulation or prohibition of the exploration of the soil or the exploration of the subsoil, the regulation of any scientific research activity, of fishing, hunting, taking of animals and harvesting of plant or their destruction. In sum, any activity or act likely to harm or disturb or which might endanger the state of conservation of the ecosystems or species is to be regulated and, if necessary prohibited. The parties shall give appropriate publicity to the establishment of protected areas, their boundaries, applicable regulations, and to the designation of protected species and their habitats. States parties generally are to address reports on the application of the agreements to the international bodies administering the agreements. ©2015 arhivinfo.ru Все права принадлежат авторам размещенных материалов.
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