The Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka have recently conducted gap assessments on mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources into their national planning processes with funds generously provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
Nepal and Sri Lanka support a wide range of wetland types which provide important services to people, especially to local communities. However, these services are not always widely recognized and the management not always effective. As a result, the wetlands are under increasing pressure from unsustainable use and so are being degraded and fragmented.
Whilst Nepal and Sri Lanka have adopted national wetland policies in 2012 and 2006 respectively, and wetland interests have been included in their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), the reports noted that there are still gaps in mainstreaming wetland conservation and wise use into other national priorities.
In the case of Nepal which adopted a federal government structure in 2015, opportunities will need to be found to integrate wetland issues and concerns in the formulation of regulatory frameworks at the central, provincial and local levels.
Both reports concludes by identifying clear steps and with a timetable for including wetland conservation and wise use into other national priorities.