THE ailing state of the Murray-Darling Basin will see Australia condemned at the world's leading wetlands conference in South Korea later this month, environmentalists say.

Delegates from more than 150 nations at the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will be told that Australia has failed dismally to uphold its obligations to protect Ramsar-listed wetlands.

A conference in Ramsar, Iran, developed the convention in 1971 to recognise and protect wetlands of world significance. It came into force in 1975, with Australia as among the first signatories.

A report published today by the Australia Conservation Foundation and the Inland Rivers Network will be used to tell Ramsar delegates that "in the years since the Ramsar Convention came into effect, the condition of Australia's wetlands has declined precipitously.

"Ninety per cent of wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin have vanished. The condition of the remnants is poor in most cases, critical in some. The Commonwealth Government, as a signatory to the convention, and state governments, which manage many Ramsar wetlands, have failed to fulfil many of their significant obligations under the Ramsar Convention."

The report calls on the Federal Government to show international leadership on wetlands, renew its commitment to the Ramsar Convention and produce a National Wetlands Initiative to speed up the buy-back of water for Ramsar wetlands in peril.

It also demands Australia list the Coorong and the Lower Lakes at the mouth of the Murray River on Ramsar's Montreux Record - a list of endangered wetlands - and look into listing others such NSW's Macquarie Marshes and Narran Lakes.

"Strong leadership is needed to turn things around for our rivers and wetlands," said Amy Hankinson, of the Inland Rivers Network. "As dire as the situation is for our wetlands [the Water Minister, Penny Wong, and the Environment Minister, Peter Garrett] have a unique opportunity to take decisive action."

Bill Phillips, the deputy secretary-general of Ramsar from 1997 to 2000, is scathing of the way Australia has implemented its Ramsar obligations. "The kindest thing you cold say is it's a basket case. I'd give it about two out of 10."

There was "an embarrassingly long list" of Australian wetlands that deserved to be on the Montreux Record.

Asked by the Greens in June if she planned to put the Lower Lakes and Coorong on the Montreux Record, Senator Wong said that in 2006 Australia had notified the Ramsar secretariat of changed ecological character.

But it would only seek a Montreux listing "when all locally generated remedial actions have been exhausted".

Mr Phillips said the Government was effectively thumbing its nose at Ramsar by refusing to use the Montreux Record - "and that won't be well received at the conference". The Government, in its report to the conference, offers a long list of what is being done to help wetlands, particularly emergency measures to aid the Coorong and Lower Lakes.