Building a Foundation for Anguilla's Wetland Future

Geographical coverage

Geographical scale of the assessment National
Country or countries covered Anguilla
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name

Conceptual framework, methodology and scope

Assessment objectives

To build an information and capacity base for Anguilla's Globally Important wetlands by: the publication of a wetland inventory; the development of a National Wetland Conservation Plan; the revision of Important Bird Area (IBA) designations and submission of sites for Ramsar designation; the enhancement of local capacity (knowledge resources, skill development and institutional strengthening)

Mandate for the assessment

Anguilla is a party to the Ramsar Convention through the UK Government; however, to date no Ramsar Sites have been designated. A wetland inventory undertaken in 1990 requires updating with recent monitoring and data and current threats and Pienkowski (2005) recommended that five wetlands be designated. The project is also pertinent to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Migratory Species, Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region: Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW Protocol) and the principals of the St. George's Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The project is funded by FCO/DFID Overseas Territories Environment Programme, 2011, project no ANG 801.

Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment

BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area Monitoring Guidelines (http://www.birdlife.org/regional/americas/apm_documents/Background%20 paper%2011.2_IBA%20Monitoring%20Framework.pdf) WorldBird Important Bird Area Database (www.globalconservation.info)

URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted

http://www.birdlife.org/regional/americas/apm_documents/Background%20paper%2011.2_IBA%20Monitoring%20Framework.pdf

BirdLife International (2006) Monitoring Important Bird Areas: a global framework. Cambridge, UK. BirdLife International. Version 1.2.
BirdLife_2012_IBA_Monitoring_Framework.pdf

System(s) assessed

  • Inland water

Species groups assessed

Birds

Ecosystem services/functions assessed

Provisioning

Regulating

  • Regulation of water flows
  • Regulation of water quality

Supporting Services/Functions

  • Habitat maintenance

Cultural Services

  • Recreation and tourism

Scope of assessment includes

Drivers of change in systems and services

Yes

Impacts of change in services on human well-being

No

Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed

No

Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment

No

Timing of the assessment

Year assessment started

2011

Year assessment finished

2013

If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish

Periodicity of assessment

Repeated

If repeated, how frequently

Biannual - While the project has come to end, parts of it will continue, namely, monitoring of wetlands based on BirdLife International’s IBA monitoring guidelines and continual updating of Anguilla’s national wetlands inventory. Wetlands will also continue to be monitored for qualification as IBAs.

Assessment outputs

Report(s)

Anguilla Wetlands Mapping Project Report

State of Anguilla’s Wetland Birds Report 2007-2011

Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)

Journal publications

Training materials

Other documents/outputs

Anguilla National Trust Bird Monitoring database (updated monthly)

Important Bird Area summaries for 13 of Anguilla’s wetlands/offshore cays (posted on BirdLife International’s website)

National Inventory of Anguilla’s Wetlands (will be updated regularly)

Tools and processes

Tools and approaches used in the assessment

  • Geospatial analysis
  • Indicators

Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component

Stakeholder workshops

Key stakeholder groups engaged

*Government of Anguilla (including, inter alia, Department of Environment Department of Physical Planning, Department of Land and Surveys, Department of Disaster Management) *Statutory Bodies (Anguilla National Trust, Anguilla Tourist Board) *Landowners

The number of people directly involved in the assessment process

Less than 10

Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge

  • Scientific information only
  • Resource experts (e.g. foresters etc)
  • Traditional/local knowledge
  • Citizen science

Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment

BirdLife International IBA Monitoring Guidelines (http://www.birdlife.org/regional/americas/apm_documents/Background%20paper%2011.2_IBA%20Monitoring%20Framework.pdf) WorldBird Important Bird Area Database (www.globalconservation.info)

Assessment reports peer reviewed

Yes

Data

Accessibility of data used in assessment

Open data sources (published literature) supported by internal (Anguilla National Trust) data collection programme (raw data is not public) BirdLife International Data Zone

Policy impact

Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions

The ANT hopes that the assessments will influence the re-drafting of the Anguilla’s Wetlands Policy by the Government of Anguilla. Seven additional Important Bird Areas have been recommended to be added to Anguilla’s IBA list. Three sites could qualify Ramsar Sites, based on Ramsar criteria. The ANT will recommend that the Government of Anguilla submit these sites to the Ramsar Secretariat for consideration.

Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment

No

Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews

Capacity building

Capacity building needs identified during the assessment

Yes

Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity

Network and sharing experiences, Workshops, Developing/promoting and providing access to support tools, Communication and awareness raising

How have gaps in capacity been communicated to the different stakeholders

No

Knowledge generation

Gaps in knowledge identified from the assessment

Yes

How gaps in knowledge have been communicated to the different stakeholders

• Information sharing during workshops • One-on-one conversations with public and private stakeholders

Additional relevant information