Ramsar
This layer maps Ramsar sites — wetlands officially designated as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Category: Transition risks · Sensitive areas · Protected areas Coverage: Global Format: Boundary polygons Used in risk analysis: Yes — gates Sensitive areas
What it shows
This layer maps Ramsar sites — wetlands officially designated as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The sites span a wide range of wetland types, including marshes, peatlands, lakes, rivers, mangroves, coral reefs and human-made wetlands such as rice paddies and reservoirs. They are recognised for maintaining biodiversity, supporting threatened species and providing ecosystem services such as flood control, water purification and carbon storage. Because they are formally designated, they concentrate conservation, regulatory and reputational risk for nearby activity.
How it is built
The boundaries come from the Ramsar Convention's official register of designated sites. Each site has been nominated by its host country and recognised under the convention for its ecological value, particularly as habitat for waterbirds. The designated sites — more than 2,500 worldwide, across a wide range of climates, geographies and wetland functions — are assembled into a single global set of polygons. No score is computed; the layer is a presence-or-absence boundary set.
How to read it
This is a boundary layer, so the relevant question is intersection: a site that falls inside, or close to, a Ramsar polygon is flagged as overlapping an internationally important wetland. Overlap signals exposure to wetland-protection obligations, water-quality sensitivities and heightened stakeholder scrutiny. Many Ramsar sites are also culturally significant and support traditional livelihoods.
Source
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — official list of Wetlands of International Importance.
Comparison with the WWF Risk Filter Suite
This layer maps directly to WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter indicator S14_3 Ramsar and to the Ramsar wetlands category of the WWF Water Risk Filter. The two are aligned: both rely on the official Ramsar register of internationally important wetlands, so coverage and intent are equivalent.
Risk analysis
A site is flagged on a dimension by combining a proximity trigger (this layer) with an activity trigger (the entity's ENCORE pressure/service). Proximity only → Potentially material; proximity and the matching ENCORE pressure/service is material → Very material; neither → Not material.
| Dimension | ENCORE service / pressure | Proximity trigger (this layer) | Activity trigger (entity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive areas | Sensitive area disturbance | Site overlaps / is near the feature | impact ratio ≥ 10%; “Disturbances (e.g noise, light)” pressure ≥ 4; “Introduction of invasive species” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of freshwater use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of seabed use” pressure ≥ 4; “Area of land use” pressure ≥ 4; “Other biotic resource extraction (e.g. fish, timber)” pressure ≥ 4; “Volume of water use” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of non-GHG air pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Generation and release of solid waste” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of toxic soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4; “Emissions of nutrient soil and water pollutants” pressure ≥ 4 |
Generated from darwin/layers/layer-ramsar.toml and risk_indicator_pairs.toml (develop).