Conservation and Restoration of Icelandic Wetlands: An Evaluation of Progress Towards Implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Abstract This paper is focused on implementing a framework to evaluate Ramsar implementation at the national level and evaluating one country’s (Iceland) progress towards achieving the goals of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar) —the only global Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) focused exclusively on the conservation and wise use of a specific ecosystem type. It does so through: Exploring the status and trends of Ramsar-designated wetlands and wetlands in general in Iceland; Evaluating progress towards Iceland's goals for wetland restoration and conservation; Analysing Iceland's Ramsar reporting to determine its adequacy in assessing progress towards Ramsar goals; Comparing Iceland's performance against its Ramsar commitments to assess its effectiveness in meeting these obligations; and Comparing Iceland’s progress in wetlands conservation and restoration with other Arctic states. In addition to improving our understanding of Iceland's progress in implementing its commitments to Ramsar, evaluating two key actions—wetlands conservation and restoration—is crucial. These actions have significant climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits and are important not only for Ramsar but also with regards to Iceland's ability to meet its commitments to two key global MEAs: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).