Program - Wetland City Network

Program of activities

Day 1

30 November 2026, Monday

Time	Activity
10:50 - 12:40	(optional) Documentary Screening - “Ishtar, the Songs of Trees" venue: Main Hall (2F) Mr. Jay Jaeun Chin, Director
12:40 - 14:00	Arrival and registration of participants
14:00 - 14:30	Opening messages venue: Main Hall (2F) Mayor of Niigata City, Japan (TBC) Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Ministry of Environment Japan (TBC) Governor of Niigata Prefecture (TBC) Mr. Seung Oh Suh, Executive Director, Wetland City Network Secretariat / Ramsar Regional Center - East Asia
14:30 - 15:10	Keynote presentations venue: Main Hall (2F) Urban biodiversity: ‘Living with Wetlands’ (TBC) The Role of Municipalities in the Conservation and Wise Use of the Ramsar Sites - Ms. Reiko Nakamura, Ramsar Center Japan / Fellow, Ramsar Awardee
15:10 - 16:10	Poster Presentation Core Time and photo opportunity venue: Foyer and Meeting Room (2F)
16:10 - 17:00	Plenary presentations venue: Main Hall and the Foyer (2F) (topic) Ministry of Environment Japan (TBC) (topic) Mr. Shinich Sawaguhchi (TBC) Global Wetland Outlook 2028 (TBC)
17:30 - 19:30	Welcome dinner venue: Hotel Nikko Niigata (4F)

Day 2

1 December 2026, Tuesday

Time	Activity
9:00 - 10:15	Parallel thematic sessions 1: Wetlands Education venue: Main Hall (2F) Parallel thematic sessions 2: Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement venue: Meeting Room (3F)
10:15 - 10:30	coffee break
10:30 – 11:45	Parallel thematic sessions 3: Promotion and Branding of Wetland Cities venue: Main Hall (2F) Parallel thematic sessions 4: Contribution to biodiversity through wetland conservation and restoration venue: Meeting Room (3F)
11:45 - 13:15	lunch break venue: Hotel Nikko Niigata (30F)
13:15 - 14:15	Discussion Meetings Youth session venue: Main Hall (2F) Local communities session venue: Meeting Room (3F)
14:15 - 14:30	move to the meeting proper venue
14:30 - 16:30	Meeting proper venue: Conference Hall (4F)
16:30 - 16:45	move to the closing program venue
16:45 - 17:15	Closing program venue: Main Hall (2F) Passing of the ceremonial flag (Niigata, Japan to Valdivia, Chile) Message from the host city of the 6th Roundtable of Wetland City Mayors: Mayor of Valdivia, Chile (pre-recorded video) Closing Message from the host city, Mayor of Niigata, Japan

Day 3

2 December 2026, Wednesday

Time	Activity
9:00 - 18:00	Field visit (optional) Lake Toyanogata Lake Sakata Ramsar Site Lake Fukushimagata Other wetland-related facilities
18:10 - 19:10	(optional) Bilateral meetings venue: Small-sized Meeting Rooms (2F – 3F)

Please download the provisional program here.

Field visit

Niigata, which means new lagoon, is a city that has thrived around lakes. In winter, thousands of winter swans migrate to the city.

On the field day, participants will visit Lake Sakata, Lake Fukushimagata, and other facilities and learn about the wetlands. Through registration, participants may participate in an optional program of Swan watching in Lake Toyanogata in the early morning.