The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award was established in 1996 by a resolution at the 6th meeting of the Ramsar Convention

Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...

, an international environmental treaty organisation, with the intention of recognising and honouring the work of governments, organisations and individuals in promoting the wise use and conservation of wetland

Wetland

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....

s. The award is given to institutions or individuals with a proven record of achievements in at least one of the three areas of management, wetland science and education, and who have contributed significantly to long-term sustainable use and conservation of wetlands. Special consideration is given to initiatives which serve as inspirational, practical and replicable exemplars.

The award is made every three years, on the occasion of the triennial meeting of the contracting parties to the Convention. Since its inception it has been made four times, in three categories on each occasion, with all awardees also receiving the Evian Special Prize of US$10,000, donated by the Danone Group

Groupe Danone

Groupe Danone is a French food-products multinational corporation based in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It claims world leadership in fresh dairy products, marketed under the corporate name, and also in bottled water...

. An associated honour, conferred at the same time as the Ramsar Award, is the Ramsar Recognition of Excellence. The next occasion for presentation of the awards will be the 11th Ramsar Conference, which will take place in Bucharest

Bucharest

Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....

, Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, in June 2012.

1999

• Individual category: shared by:
  • Professor Vitaly G. Krivenko (Russia), for lifetime achievement in working, in difficult circumstances, for wetland and waterbird conservation
  • Victor Pulido (Peru), recognising a life of dedication to wetland conservation and wise use against a background of social and economic challenge
• NGO category: shared by
  • Lake Naivasha Riparian Association (Kenya), a pioneering example of a local community taking the initiative and achieving long-term conservation results with regard to the Lake Naivasha
    Lake Naivasha
    Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in Kenya, lying north west of Nairobi, outside the town of Naivasha. It is part of the Great Rift Valley. The name derives from the local Maasai name Nai'posha, meaning "rough water" because of the sudden storms which can arise...
    
     site
  • Society for the Protection of Prespa (Greece), for its pioneering approach at local, national and international levels towards the sustainable management of the Lake Prespa
    Lake Prespa
    Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
    
     site
• Government/Non-governmental Coalition Category: Pacific Estuary Conservation Program (Canada), for excellence in conserving and insuring long-term sustainable use of estuarine habitat along the British Columbia
  British Columbia
  British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
  
  n coast

2002

• Banrock Station Wines (Australia), for its innovative approach and imaginative rehabilitation and management practices at the Banrock Station Wetlands
  Banrock Station Wetlands
  The Banrock Station Wetlands form a wetland complex in South Australia that has been recognised as being of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention. It was listed on 21 October 2002 as Ramsar site 1221. It lies in the Riverland region of south-eastern South Australia...
  
   site
• Chilika Development Authority (India), for its outstanding achievement in restoring the Chilika Lake site
• NGO Trinational Initiative for the Morava-Dyje Floodplain (Austria, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic), in recognition of work carried out in three countries to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the cultural and natural heritage of the floodplains of the Morava and Dyje
  Thaya
  The Thaya is a river in Central Europe, tributary to the Morava River. It is about 235 km long and meanders from west to east in the border area between Lower Austria and South Moravia , but does not exactly follow the border in most parts...
  
   rivers
• Recognition of Excellence: Dr Monique Coulet (France), for her scientific research andcommitment to making practical use of knowledge acquired in the field
• Recognition of Excellence: Dr Max Finlayson (Australia), for contributions to both the progress of wetland science and the work of the Ramsar Convention, with particular regard to leadership of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel

2005

• Management category: Dr Sh. A. Nezami Baloochi (Iran), for his pivotal role in the establishment of a conservation and wise use scheme for the Anzali Lagoon
  Anzali Lagoon
  Anzali Lagoon is a coastal liman, or lagoon, in the Caspian Sea near Bandar-e Anzali, in the northern Iranian province of Gilan...
  
   site
• Science category: Professor Shuming Cai (China), for his research on the Yangtze River
  Yangtze River
  The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
  
  , including the effects of the Three Gorges Dam
  Three Gorges Dam
  The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
  
   project on the environment
• Education category: shared by:
  • Ms Reiko Nakamura (Japan), for promoting wetland conservation as an environmental journalist, and creating the Ramsar Centre Japan in 1990
  • The Wetlands Centre (Australia), for its pioneering role in the restoration and management of the Hunter Estuary wetlands site, and for forging links with other centres in Australia

2008

• Science category: David Pritchard (multiregional), for supporting the development and implementation of the Ramsar Convention for two decades as a representative of BirdLife International
  BirdLife International
  BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
  
  
• Management category: Denis Landenbergue (multiregional), for outstanding achievements regarding the designation of Ramsar sites and other protected areas, with improved management, especially in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa
• Education category: Dr Sansanee Choowaew (Thailand), for her exceptional contributions to wetland management, education, training and capacity building, in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia
• Recognition of Excellence: Dr Jan Květ (Czech Republic), for his lifetime work and support for wetland science and conservation