A Continental Dataset Analysis on Strategy Implementation from the COP11 Ramsar National Reports

The Ramsar Convention, adopted in 1971, has become a central framework for promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands worldwide. To support evidence-based policy evaluation, Contracting Parties regularly submit National Reports that provide the primary dataset for assessing implementation progress across regions. This study reconstructed and standardized data from the COP11 National Reports to quantify continental differences in the achievement of 26 Ramsar strategies, including wetland inventory, policy and institutional development, ecological character maintenance, restoration, communication, education, participation, and awareness, regional cooperation, and international assistance. Mean and standard error values were derived for each strategy and region, revealing substantial variability in implementation levels. Higher performance was observed in areas such as Ramsar Site information and knowledge sharing, while consistently lower levels were documented for international assistance and management effectiveness. These differences also varied across continents, reflecting disparities in institutional capacity and reporting completeness. The resulting dataset provides a coherent, comparable, and reproducible basis for identifying regional patterns, evaluating strategic progress, and supporting future temporal analyses. By transforming dispersed report entries into a structured quantitative resource, this study offers a valuable foundation for advancing global wetland governance research and strengthening evidence-informed decision-making under the Ramsar Convention.