Australian Wetlands Database
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
About the database
An important resource for wetland managers is sound data and information about the values of wetlands on which to base management decisions. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts maintains the Australian Wetlands Database with information from State and Territory conservation agencies. This provides online access to the most recent information on Australia's Ramsar sites and Directory wetlands, our internationally and nationally important wetlands respectively.
Use the Australian Wetlands Database to search for information on Australia's Ramsar wetlands, and the nationally important wetlands listed in A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
- Find a Ramsar site
- Find a Directory wetland
- Search for both Ramsar and Directory wetlands
- Help on searching the Australian Wetlands Database
Note: The database interface uses frames, cookies and Javascript. You may need to check your browser is set to enable Javascript and to accept cookies for you to access the database properly.
Wetlands data
Information and spatial data for Australia's Ramsar sites are supplied by State and Territory conservation departments. The reports generated from the database follow the categories of the Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS), which document the character and values of each Ramsar site. The latest RIS updates are included.
The Directory is compiled with the cooperation of conservation agencies and other resource managers in all jurisdictions. It is a valuable tool for managers and others interested in Australia's important wetlands. The database holds descriptions of more than 850 Directory wetlands, including those listed since publication of the third edition in 2001. Users should note that there are gaps in the knowledge of some sites and some fields may be blank. Inventory is ongoing and many wetlands remain to be assessed or recognised as internationally or nationally important.
Wetlands data have been received from:
- Environment ACT - ACT references
- NSW Department of Conservation and Environment - NSW references
- NT Department of Infrastructure Planning and Environment - NT references
- Qld Environmental Protection Agency - Qld references
- SA Department of Environment and Heritage - SA references
- Tas Department of Primary Industries, Water and the Environment - Tas references
- Vic Department of Sustainability and Environment - Vic references
- WA Department of Conservation and Land Management - WA references
Relevant publications
Ramsar sites are listed under the Convention on Wetlands because of their international importance in one or more areas, which may include ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology.
- Australia's Ramsar Sites
- Australia's National Report - Eighth Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)
- The Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of International Importance
- Ramsar Sites Database - Wetlands International
The Directory identifies and provides information on the values of nationally important wetlands across Australia. The third edition of the Directory (2001) contains a summary of nationally important wetlands in each jurisdiction; it does not have the detailed site information of previous editions as this is now available online.
- A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia - Third Edition
- A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia - factsheet
Contact
If you need help using this database, or wish to provide feedback, please contact us.
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