National guidelines for the assessment of potential Ramsar wetlands in New Zealand

Published:  

May 2016
These guidelines assist those nominating or assessing candidate Ramsar sites in New Zealand.

Summary

New Zealand became a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in 1976. A key aim of the Ramsar Convention is for each Contracting Party to designate sites of international importance based on nine criteria.

These guidelines are intended to assist those nominating or assessing candidate Ramsar sites in New Zealand. They help by providing information about each of the three phases of site assessment:

  • ‘Identify’, which includes defining the boundaries of the site
  • ‘Describe’, which involves determining the relevant biogeographic region, classifying wetland types and collating information on ecological values
  • ‘Assess’, where the level of compliance of the site with the Ramsar criteria is assessed to determine the importance of the site.

A standardised approach for assessing sites against each of the Ramsar criteria is presented.

The application of these guidelines ensures a strategic approach to future site nominations. They will provide a transparent and systematic process for assessing the national and international importance of potential Ramsar sites in New Zealand.

Publication information

Written by Karen Denyer and Hugh Robertson.

Published by Publishing Team, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, The Terrace, Wellington 6143, New Zealand.

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