3. Contracting Parties accept obligations under the text of the Convention and from formal Resolutions passed at triennial meetings – Australia has agreed to these; not imposed The Convention's mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world

6. Wetlands of international importance – listed against 9 criteria agreed by the Convention Gippsland Lakes listed - 15 Dec 1982 based on 4 criteria: - good representative example of wetland characteristic of the biogeographical region - regularly supports 20,000 waterbirds - regularly supports substantial numbers of waterbirds from particular groups - regularly supports 1% on the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies

9. Biological Physical Chemical Regulating Cultural Supporting Provisioning Ecosystem Components and Processes Ecosystem Services Ecological character is the combination of the ecological components , processes and ecosystem services that characterize the wetland This links biodiversity with wetland use – water & land use, such as agriculture and fisheries

11. Sites undergoing or likely to undergo adverse change in ecological character: – bring to attention of Ramsar Secretariat ( Article 3.2 ) e.g. Coorong & Lower Lakes, SA – can also place them on Montreux Record to draw attention to their plight, attract support/funds to restore, invoke a Ramsar Advisory Mission - adding them to or taking them off the Record is a voluntary process by country; Convention’s technical panel provides advice when taking them off the Record Ethical / legal obligation – processes good for our wetlands Reporting adverse change in ecological character

13. Integrated multi-scalar wetland analyses INVENTORY MONITORING Broad-scale Site-specific Modelling & Research Consultation & Communication Broad-scale Site-specific ASSESSMENT Risk Assessment Vulnerability Assess Environmental Impact Assess Strategic Environmental Assess Rapid Biological Assess

18. Projected temperatures during 21st C are significantly higher than at any time during the last 1000 years

19. Vegetation of the Arctic: current conditions and projected changes under the IS92a scenario for 2090-2100 Climate change - expecting further changes in response to atmospheric emissions