Bonn/Cambridge/Gland/Wageningen, 2 April 2008 - Launched today, the website of the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) Project gives a fresh insight into the many activities currently underway in the largest international wetland and waterbird conservation initiative ever to take place in the African-Eurasian region.

The new website hosted by Wetlands International gives visitors a quick overview and first impression of the different components of the project. In addition to providing information on the Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool and the Flyway Conservation Training Framework being developed under the project, the website contains pages for each of the demonstration projects being carried out in 12 countries in the AEWA region.

The Wings Over Wetlands project will help foster international collaboration along the African-Eurasian flyways, build capacity for monitoring and conservation and demonstrate best practice in the conservation and wise use of wetlands in these selected countries.

The WOW Project is a unique partnership of organisations involved in the conservation of waterbirds and their wetland habitats. It is a collaborative effort between Wetlands International and BirdLife International, with the support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and UNEP/GEF. WOW supports the implementation of both the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands.

The Project is sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the AEWA Secretariat and several other donors. (List of sponsors and partners)

The website was developed by the AEWA Information Officer for the Project in close cooperation with the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) and the Communications team at Wetlands International.

The WOW Project Website can be found at: www.wingsoverwetlands.org

For comments and/or suggestions on the WOW website please contact:

Florian Keil [inf@wingsoverwetlands.org or + 49 228 8152451]