Wetlands satellite mapping scheme yielding first results   A prototype Globwetland geographic information system (GIS) covering Axios in the Aliakmon delta, a Ramsar site in northern Greece, in the central part of the province of Makedonia, some 20 km west southwest of the city of Thessaloniki. The GIS integrates field data with a topographic map, Radarsat SAR data and 10-metre-resolution SPOT 5 imagery.   Ground Data Collection in South Africa's Natal Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as Ramsar site. In-situ data collection is a critical aspect of the project. The collaboration of the users in the field is a key element for the success; ground data is sued to calibrate and validate the final products. During 2004 it was carried out at sites in Kenya, South Africa, Austria, Canada, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Russia.   Movement across wetlands can be a problem for field teams, as seen in a photo taken in Natal Drakensberg Park. Located on the border between South Africa and Kingdom of Lesotho, this 242 813-hectare park is characterized by an abundance of high altitude wetlands, including high altitude tarns, bogs, marshes and streams, found between 1300m and 3377m above sea level, in the montane, sub-alpine and alpine zones. It consists of interconnected systems of wetlands. Cooperation in Canada     Prototype Globwetland GIS land cover and land use map for Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area in British Columbia in Canada, based on SPOT 5, SAR Radarsat, field data and topographic maps. It has a thematic accuracy of 90% and a positional accuracy of less than one pixel, approximating 10 metres.   This Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area land cover land use map from the Globwetland project incorporates photographs gathered in the field as well as topographic maps and satellite data. Classifying wetlands from space     The high-altitude wetland Natal Drakensberg Park includes a unique assemblage of complex ecosystems and habitats characterised by extraordinarily high species richness, most of which are dependent on specific habitats. The park wetlands support at least 36 endemic plant species from 12 families.   The Schwarzenberg is a mountain southwest of Tamsweg on the southern side of the Mur valley with an altitude of about 1780 m. A big mire complex with an extent of about 80 ha has developed in the summit region. The Mires of the Schwarzenberg became a Ramsar site in 2004. Ortho-rectification of SPOT 5 was required due to the site's high elevation, and it proved very difficult to identify mires from the imagery. SAR data - sensitive to water - is being used to complement the analysis, with the team responsible planning to evaluate dry season SAR imagery for additional information. Kampala COP 9 will present progress     Envisat MERIS mosaic of Africa created from images acquired during May 2004. There are a total of 71 Ramsar wetland sites on the African continent. Globwetland partners     Wetlands are a global environmental resource, both in terms of biodiversity and water management. Release date: 10 November 2005