This Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI) Ecosystem Services Training Workshop was held during the 11th Meeting of Partners of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) in Brisbane, Australia.  It aimed to enhance knowledge-sharing and site-level capacity in wetland management in RFI's participating developing member countries (DMCs) and in the flyway in general, and to build the capacity of policymakers and site managers in understanding and assessing ecosystem services and helping DMCs build a business case for investing in wetlands. 

Learning objective: Build capacity of wetland managers, policymakers, and conservation practitioners in the development of the Regional Flyway Initiative through a deeper appreciation of  

• the natural, cultural and economic values of wetlands  
• tools and best practices in assessing the natural and economic value of wetlands 

Target audience: Site managers, conservation practitioners and policymakers from ADB DMCs and EAAFP partners.

This training, along with in-country training workshops, contribute to Output 1 of the RFI Technical Assistance Report: institutional capacity for understanding of East Asian-Australasian Flyway wetland values regionally enhanced. 

The training workshop series will ensure that national stakeholders improve their knowledge of the natural and economic values of wetlands. It will also assist EAAFP, governments and other relevant actors to identify and characterize key knowledge and capacity gaps concerning sustainable wetlands management and identify actions to fill these gaps, building interest in investing in wetlands.

Capacity building is key to avoiding the pitfalls of reverting to business as usual approaches.

This workshop encouraged practitioners and policymakers /decision-makers to look at their current needs (including capacity needs) and from there, imagine the future in terms of innovative, viable, and bankable projects in sustainable wetlands management—significantly anchored on green principles. In more practical terms, by giving the participants tools in understanding the natural, cultural, and economic values of wetlands, project design /development becomes a more meaningful and focused exercise—ultimately leading to nature-positive, relevant, and innovative outcomes.

Capacity development initiatives should find meaning on the ground.  By directly involving site managers, this will have identified more opportunities to improve the lives of the people while establishing mechanisms through which they can become better stewards of the planet.