Climate change adaptation planning for an internationally important wetland, the Muir–Byenup System Ramsar Site in south-west Australia

Abstract

Wetlands, already declining worldwide because of human activities, are at increasing risk from climate change. Despite the Ramsar Convention requirement to maintain the ecological character of wetlands listed as internationally important, there is little guidance for wetland managers to actually do this, let alone plan for and implement adaptation to climate change. This study developed a checklist for planning climate change adaptation and used it to consider adaptation options for the Muir-Byenup System Ramsar site in Australia. Under climate change the site will be subject to future warming and drying, affecting hydrology, bird breeding and feeding, vegetation, peat and threatened species. Fire and wetland acidification are likely to increase. The study found that planning for climate change adaptation had not been widely undertaken for Ramsar sites and, where it had, managers mainly planned information gathering activities and 'no regrets' actions rather than innovative or transformative approaches. New management approaches and policy settings that encompass the dynamic nature of wetlands are needed because maintaining wetlands in their current state will be difficult under climate change. The development and sharing of targeted information and training for wetland managers and stakeholders could facilitate a better understanding and uptake of adaptation at wetlands.

Mapping the Link between Climate Change and Mangrove Forest: A Global Overview of the Literature

“…By designating wetlands of international importance and adopting measures for their conservation and management, the parties of the convention aim to preserve these important ecosystems [166]. Examples of Ramsar sites that have had a positive impact on mangrove conservation include the Xuan Thuy Wetland Reserve in Vietnam [167], Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve in Malaysia [168], Pichavaram mangrove in India [169], Koh Kapik in Cambodia [170], and the Gulf of Montijo Ramsar Site in Panama [171].…”

The Dammed and the Saved: a Conservation Triage Framework for Wetlands under Climate Change in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia

“…Nevertheless, climate change is diminishing river inflows in the Basin (MDBA 2020, p. 21) and triage decisions on which wetland and socioeconomic values are sustained have become inevitable. Under climate change, maintaining the ecological character of Ramsar wetlands, as detailed at the time of listing, is perceived as increasingly unrealistic (Pittock et al 2010;Pritchard 2021;Partridge and Finlayson 2022), as this approach does not include consideration of the spatiotemporal dynamics of wetland complexes. However, the Ramsar Convention makes allowance for changes in ecological character, with restoration as the preferred management option.…”