27 April 2017 (World Wetland Network): Knowledge about the status and trends of the world’s remaining wetlands is very patchy and limited. To improve this knowledge, and so as to better inform wetland policy and decision-making, a simple online worldwide questionnaire survey, using Citizen Science methods, aims to gather better knowledge on the state of wetlands. 

The survey is a collaborative initiative between the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS Ramsar Section), the World Wetland Network (WWN) and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), with the help of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. The survey is open to anyone who has first-hand information about the state of a wetland(s), small or large. The questionnaire asks for your opinion about the state of a wetland and should take no longer than 10 minutes of your time to complete.

To complete the questionnaire visit http://www.worldwetnet.org/about-us/world-wetlands-survey-2017 . The questionnaire is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese and will be open until 30 September 2017.

Survey results will be analysed and reported at global and regional scales although results for individual wetlands will not be made public. Summary reports will be made available publicly, through the WWN, SWS and other websites. All contributors will be kept informed when the results become available. The results will also be prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The organisers also anticipate showcasing the results of the survey during the next Ramsar Convention Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP13) in 2018.