Prof. Brandon P. Anthony leads innovative training on rapid assessments of wetlands for Ramsar site managers in Central Asia

Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy Associate Professor Brandon P. Anthony recently lead a special training workshop on conducting rapid ecological, and ecosystem service, assessments of Ramsar wetlands in Central Asia. Prof. Anthony worked with the Ramsar Regional Initiative for Central Asia (RRI-CA) and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) to offer a two-day training workshop for Ramsar site managers and other government officials from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. 

Rapid wetland assessments are being promoted by the Ramsar Convention (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) as a means for countries to design a simple and rapid site assessment system that does not rely on detailed, quantitative assessments, and encourages input from traditional and/or indigenous groups. Although not a substitute for more long-term, comprehensive assessments, rapid assessments can help establish baseline inventories and identify key ecosystem attributes that are undergoing threats.