The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) calls on the Member States of the Ramsar Convention to effectively protect wetlands in the Americas.

The Contracting Parties of Latin America must protect and promote the wise use of coral reefs, mangroves and high Andean wetlands in their territories.

To achieve this vision, we demand that the Contracting Parties engage in proper management of their wetlands, and commit to undertaking adequate assessments of environmental impact. This is particularly important in regions with tourism development, port and hydroelectric projects, and extractive industries, such as mining and hydraulic fracturing.

We ask for the inclusion in the Montreux Record of several of the region’s key wetlands: Panama Bay (Panama), Marismas Nacionales and the Veracruz Reef System National Park (Mexico), as well as Otún Lagoon and the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta (Colombia).

We encourage the Contracting Parties to extend existing mechanisms of participation to ensure that civil society is included in wetlands management.