Dr Bridgewater has served as a Member of the Science and Technology Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility, UN Environment Programme (1998-2000); as Chairman of the International Whaling Commission (1995-1997); and as Commissioner of the Independent World Commission on the Oceans (1995-98).

Dr. Bridgewater has published more than 170 publications on nature conservation, vegetation science and biodiversity issues. His current research interests include linkages between cultural and biological diversity, conservation and management of the coastal zone, and landscape ecology – especially its role in sustainable development.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 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. It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975, and it is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.