4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-3938373539 English Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en 2026-03-03T12:00:37.914Z NRW 1.0 wel British National Grid (EPSG::27700) Ramsar Sites - Wetlands of International Importance Ramsar Sites - Wetlands of International Importance Gwlyptiroedd Ramsar o bwysigrwydd rhyngwladol Ramsar.LYR Marine protected areas Ramsar.lyr Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) Sites (Ramsar) 2022-11-28 NRW_DS98759 The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. This spatial dataset contains the digital boundaries of Ramsar sites in Wales. In ratifying the Convention in 1976, the UK government accepted a commitment to promote the conservation of internationally important wetland sites within its territories. Wetlands are vital for many types of birds particularly waterfowl and Wales have some prime sites that are essential to the survival of many wetland plants and animals. Wetland sites can be areas of marsh, fen, peatland or open water; natural or artificial; permanent or temporary; with water that is fresh, brackish or salty. They can also include shallow areas of sea. All Ramsar sites are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Wetlands of International Importance are identified by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), in collaboration with the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and designated by the First Minister for the National Assembly for Wales. The Ramsars have been designated over a number of years, from 1976 to the present day, and are on-going. The data has been held digitally since mid1990s. The boundaries have been checked by NRW staff. Due to scale enlargement and different editions of map a certain degree of interpretation was required. The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. This spatial dataset contains the digital boundaries of Ramsar sites in Wales. In ratifying the Convention in 1976, the UK government accepted a commitment to promote the conservation of internationally important wetland sites within its territories. Wetlands are vital for many types of birds particularly waterfowl and Wales have some prime sites that are essential to the survival of many wetland plants and animals. Wetland sites can be areas of marsh, fen, peatland or open water; natural or artificial; permanent or temporary; with water that is fresh, brackish or salty. They can also include shallow areas of sea. All Ramsar sites are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Wetlands of International Importance are identified by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), in collaboration with the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and designated by the First Minister for the National Assembly for Wales. The Ramsars have been designated over a number of years, from 1976 to the present day, and are on-going. The data has been held digitally since mid1990s. The boundaries have been checked by NRW staff. Due to scale enlargement and different editions of map a certain degree of interpretation was required. Mae'r set ddata ofodol hon yn cynnwys ffiniau digidol safleoedd Ramsar yng Nghymru. Wrth gadarnhau'r Confensiwn ym 1976, ymrwymodd llywodraeth y DU i hyrwyddo cadwraeth safleoedd gwlyptir o bwysigrwydd rhyngwladol o fewn ei thiriogaethau. Mae gwlyptiroedd yn hanfodol ar gyfer llawer o fathau o adar yn enwedig adar dŵr, ac mae gan Gymru rai o'r safleoedd gorau sy'n hanfodol i oroesiad llawer o blanhigion ac anifeiliaid y gwlypdir. Gall safleoedd gwlyptir fod yn ardaloedd o gors, ffen, mawndir neu ddŵr agored; naturiol neu artiffisial; parhaol neu dros dro; gyda dŵr ffres, lled hallt neu hallt. Gallant gynnwys ardaloedd o fôr bas hefyd. Mae pob safle Ramsar yn Safle o Ddiddordeb Gwyddonol Arbennig (SoDdGA) hefyd. Nodir Gwlyptiroedd o Bwysigrwydd Rhyngwladol gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru (CNC), mewn cydweithrediad â Chyd-bwyllgor Cadwraeth Natur y DU, ac fe'u dynodir gan Brif Weinidog Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae safleoedd Ramsar wedi'u dynodi dros nifer o flynyddoedd, o 1976 hyd heddiw ac maent yn parhau. Datganiad priodoli Yn cynnwys gwybodaeth Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru © Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Hawl Cronfa Ddata. Cedwir pob hawl. Yn cynnwys data Arolwg Ordnans. Rhif Trwydded Arolwg Ordnans AC0000849444 Hawlfraint y Goron a Hawl Cronfa Ddata. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Protected sites GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme Fenland Ramsar sites marshland geographical information systems (GIS) waterfowl Newport Wetlands Reserve (see also Gwent Levels Wetlands Reserve) bird habitat NRW Thesaurus 2025-01-08 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords Habitat extent Habitat characterisation SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2024-06-19 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.rdf+xml Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR) Marine (SMNR) Coastal Margins (SMNR) Water Quality (SMNR) Regulating Services (SMNR) Cultural Services (SMNR) Animals, Plants and Other Organisms (SMNR) Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) Ecosystem Services (SMNR) Provisioning Services (SMNR) Sea and Coast (SMNR) Physical Geography (Physiography) (SMNR) Management Areas (SMNR) Soil and Land (SMNR) Freshwater and Wetlands (SMNR) Ecosystem (SMNR) NRW SMNR Keywords 2024-06-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely. no limitations © CNC/NRW All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose. Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Open Government Licence English biota environment imageryBaseMapsEarthCover inlandWaters SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 benthic boundary layer Wales (WLS) -5.777741 -2.608865 51.240829 53.513067 1995-01-01 2009-06-09 Please refer to Wetlands of International Importance - Ramsar Convention for reasons for capture of original designation. NRW has also created a subset of this dataset showing only those where relate to the marine enivronment. These are available on the Welsh Government marine planning portal. Geographic Information System ESRI Feature Class https://datamap.gov.wales/layers/inspire-nrw:NRW_RAMSAR WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link View and Download https://datamap.gov.wales/capabilities/layer/379/?ows_service=wms OGC:WMS Web Mapping Service Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation. false Originally produced as paper maps but with the progress to GIS later designations produced directly from digital capture. The data was derived from the designation paper maps that vary in scale from 1:50,000, 1:25,000 and 1:10,000. The present data is digitised to OS MasterMap. With the coming of GIS and its use in government departments and commercial companies mobilising the data in this way, advances the protection of these sites and the efficiency of decision making. Originally produced as paper maps but with the progress to GIS later designations produced directly from digital capture. The data was derived from the designation paper maps that vary in scale from 1:50,000, 1:25,000 and 1:10,000. The present data is digitised to OS MasterMap. With the coming of GIS and its use in government departments and commercial companies mobilising the data in this way, advances the protection of these sites and the efficiency of decision making.