Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E14
Höfundar / Authors: Tom Barry
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Stefansson Arctic Institute, University of Akureryri
Kynnir / Presenter: Tom Barry
This paper develops and applies a framework to evaluate national implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, focusing on Iceland as a case study. The Ramsar Convention is the only global multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) dedicated exclusively to wetlands, making national-level assessments essential for understanding its effectiveness. The study examines the status and trends of both Ramsar-designated and non-designated wetlands in Iceland, evaluates national progress on wetland restoration and conservation, and assesses the adequacy of Iceland’s Ramsar reporting in tracking these commitments. It also compares Iceland’s performance against its formal Ramsar obligations and situates its progress within the broader Arctic context. The findings highlight key strengths and gaps in Iceland’s implementation, while underscoring the critical role of wetland conservation and restoration in addressing climate change. These actions deliver important co-benefits for mitigation and adaptation, positioning them as central not only to Ramsar but also to Iceland’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).