The World Wetland Network (WWN) is an international group of wetland NGOs formed at the Ramsar COP10 in South Korea, in 2008. WWN aims to support wetland NGO’s to engage more fully in international wetland conservation efforts, to recognise and support their role, and to raise awareness of international wetland threats.

The NGO International Wetland Awards scheme is designed to recognise the best and worst cases of management, or mismanagement, of internationally important wetlands, from the view point of civil society groups.

The awards are divided into three categories.  The Blue Globe Award recognises best practice in wetland management; the Green Globe is given for successful restoration of a degraded wetland; and the Grey Globe highlights wetlands that are being actively degraded or neglected. Five awards will be given for each category, they are non financial in nature and given directly to wetlands in question.

The deadline for this round is the 30th September 2010 and the awards will be delivered for each continent at the Convention of Biological Diversity Conference in October 2010, and then at the Ramsar Conference in 2012.

The success of this project depends on the involvement of all organizations and individuals who work with wetlands and will provide an opportunity to celebrate well managed wetlands, reinforce restoration programs and single out threatened wetlands. One can vote directly on the WWN website which provides clear instructions. A short description of the awards, its purpose and the voting process can be accessed here.

The Wetland Globes awards are generously supported by the Spanish Fundación Biodiversidad.