In adopting a definition of wise use, and subsequently providing guidelines for its implementation, successive Conferences of Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention have provided substantial encouragement to countries seeking to improve management of their wetland resources. The present volume takes a significant step further by providing specific examples of the ways in which a wide diversity of countries have pursued wise use. Thus, while it would be imprudent to claim that any yet provide a clear demonstration of lasting success, these case studies provide a wealth of information and encouragement to those institutions that are seeking to grapple with the application of the wise use principle. This is perhaps one of the most important messages to emerge from the present review.
Wise use is a complex task which takes time to yield lasting results.
The second consequence of this complexity is that these case studies do not provide easy solutions for pursuing wise use. Rather they emphasize that, even in the simplest cases such as Laguna Jocotal in El Salvador, wise use is a complex task and requires action at several levels, adjusted to national conditions. Ideally, wise use should be pursued through a comprehensive national programme addressing information, awareness, policy, planning, management and institution building. However, while in several countries, such as Uganda and Canada, there is sufficient awareness of the values of wetlands and concern for their conservation to lay the basis for such an approach, this may be totally inappropriate in many others where such awareness is absent, or institutional capacity limited. In reviewing the case studies, readers therefore need to consider the lessons they provide and assess their relevance to their own context.