Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards and Evian Special Prize by Danone

Award categories

• The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for Innovation: recognizing a person, project, programme, or policy that has contributed to the conservation and wise use of wetlands through an innovative technique or approach.
• The Ramsar Convention Award for Young Wetland Champions: recognizing an individual or group of young people aged between 18 and 30 years for contributions to the conservation, wise use, and restoration of wetlands.
• The Ramsar Wetland Indigenous Peoples Conservation and Wise Use Award: recognizing groups or individuals for outstanding leadership and transformative projects led by or involving indigenous peoples.

Award Information

• Award recipients will each receive the Evian Special Prize of USD 10,000 provided by Danone.

Why nominate?

• Nominating deserving individuals or organizations highlights the crucial work being done to conserve the planet’s wetlands. These ecosystems are vital for water, biodiversity, climate regulation, and human well-being.
• The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards celebrate and recognize those making significant contributions to hopefully inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Award recipients share their stories with a global audience.

Award Criteria

• The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Wise Use Award for Innovation category will favour nominees which demonstrate innovative actions supporting the conservation and wise use of wetlands, whether through new techniques or new approaches, which meet one or several of the following criteria:
  • An innovation which is truly a new concept rather than a variation of an existing one;
  • The demonstrable usefulness and impact of the innovation.
  • Its demonstrable applicability, practicality, and replicability; and
  • Wide recognition of the innovation.
• The Ramsar Conservation Award for Young Wetland Champions category will favour nominees which demonstrate innovative actions supporting the conservation and wise use of wetlands, whether through new techniques or new approaches, and which meet the first criterion and one or several of the other following criteria:
  • Individuals nominated should be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of nomination. The members and leader(s) of nominated groups should be within the same age range. Dates of birth will be requested;
  • A proven and documented record of achievement in activities or projects on the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These may involve community work, research, awareness raising, restoration work, or any other activity undertaken to benefit wetlands;
  • The activity or project should clearly refer to the mission of the Convention on Wetlands; and
  • Projects or activities should either have been finalized during the last three years before the nomination or be in an advanced implementation stage to be considered.
• The Ramsar Wetland Indigenous Peoples Conservation and Wise Use Award category will favour nominees (which may be groups or individuals) that demonstrate outstanding leadership in wetland projects either led by, or involving, Indigenous Peoples and meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Achieved positive outcomes for the conservation and wise use of wetlands, particularly for key ecosystems or places of importance to Indigenous Peoples;
  • Enhanced sustainable livelihoods and well-being of Indigenous Peoples through the wise use of wetlands;
  • Promoted the traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices of Indigenous Peoples, and/or supported the connection of Indigenous Peoples to lands, seas and territories;
  • Implemented transformative projects that halt or reverse wetland loss and degradation, while integrating the values, world views and knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples;
  • Demonstrated an enhanced role or recognition of Indigenous Peoples in the governance, management, or protection of wetlands, including at Wetlands of International Importance.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals and groups, of all nations, are invited to submit nominations. Individuals and organizations of any nation or region can be nominated, including; Non-governmental organizations (NGOs); Government agencies; community groups ; academic and research institutions; private sector entities.

For more information, visit The Convention on Wetlands.