Purpose: The 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The UN’s global platform would step up efforts to promote the wise use of wetlands by increasing understanding that healthy wetlands are critical to securing a resilient, nature-positive and climate-neutral world. Contributing to 75 SDG indicators, wetlands are one of the most world’s valuable ecosystem and a nature-based solution for mitigating emissions through their massive carbon storage capacities, protecting communities and ecosystems from climate impacts, and reversing biodiversity loss.
FORUM: "Wetlands and Human Well-being." World Wetlands Day 2024. Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, and more than 35% of wetlands have been degraded or lost since 1970. This year’s campaign will spotlight how interconnected wetlands and human life are — with people drawing sustenance, inspiration and resilience from these productive ecosystems. Importantly, the theme for 2024 will underscore how all aspects of human wellbeing are tied to the health of the world’s wetlands. It calls on each of us to value and steward our wetlands. Every wetland matters. Every effort counts. Follow the conversations with the hashtags #WorldWetlandsDay, #wetlandrestoration, #2February ,#ReviveAndRestore, #wetlands.
EVENTS: On Feburary 2nd will be held the World Wetlands Day 2024, the celebrations are open to everyone — from international organizations, governments, wetland practitioners, to children, youth, media, community groups, decision-makers, to all individuals — as these ecosystems are important for us all. Get the list of upcoming events.
WEBINARS: The FAO, in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, will host the World Wetlands Day celebration on 2 February 2024 from 12:00 to 13:30 (CET) at FAO Headquarters and online. The primary objectives of the celebration are to: (i) raise awareness on wetlands and human wellbeing; (ii) highlight wetlands’ contribution to One Health and food security; (iii) share agricultural solutions for wetlands and human well-being and; (iv)inspire actions and partnerships with FAO Members and other stakeholders. Interpretation will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Watch the online webinar!
STATEMENTS:
The 7 best practices in wetland restoration
Consider the multitude of services the natural wetland provided, and aim to recapture a wide range of those benefits, not just one or two.
Aim to recreate a wetland ecosystem that can maintain itself
Integrate local communities and industries during planning and implementation.
Identify the causes of degradation and limit or eliminate them.
Clean up the degraded area.
Restore native vegetation and wildlife, and remove invasive species.
Restrict site access, creating specific places for people and animals.
The 3 key elements of the definition of wise use are:
ecological character, which is the combination of the ecosystem components, processes and benefits/services that characterise the wetland at a given point in time;
ecosystem approaches, which consider the complex relationships between every element of an ecosystem, and promote the integrated management of land, water and living resources (including humans); and
sustainable development, which is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come.
Guidance, at the international level, on implementing ‘wise use’ is provided through the Ramsar toolkit, which is available at: www.ramsar.org/
The 7 key benefits from restored wetlands
Increased biodiversity.
Replenished and filtered water supply.
Enhanced protection against floods and storms.
More local and sustainable livelihoods, less poverty.
Increased tourism, higher quality leisure time.
Increased carbon storage and avoided emissions.
Inner satisfaction of achieving a transformation.
The wise use concept is about maintaining wetland values and functions, while at the same time delivering services and benefits now and into the future, for human well-being.
PODCASTS: The Ramsar Convention is an international intergovernmental treaty which aims to halt and, where possible, reverse the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve those that remain through wise use and management. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: “Wetlands and Human-Wellbeing’’. You are invited to to participate to the World Wetlands Day 2024 campaign. Watch the Wall of Pledges and Make a Pledge to Act for Wetlands. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE WETLANDS?
Wetlands are among the most important and productive ecosystems in the world. The services delivered by wetlands have been valued at US$ 14 trillion annually. In particular, the principal supply of renewable fresh water for human use comes from a variety of inland wetland habitats, including lakes, rivers, swamps and shallow groundwater aquifers.
ACTIONS
Wise use, in promoting maintenance of environmental, economic and social sustainability, encourages compromise (or tradeoffs) between individual and collective interests. To achieve sound decisions on wetland use and management, decision-makers at local, regional and national levels need to enable participation by relevant stakeholders and to balance a variety of objectives and perspectives.
PARTNERS
The World Wetlands Day is organized in partnerships with Ramsar Secretariat; Conservation International; World Wildlide Fund (WWF); UN Environment; UNEP/CMS; CITES secretariat; BirdLife International; Wetlands International; NEEF ; Russian Wetlands conservation and many others.
Make a donation.
Wetland conservation is aimed at protecting and preserving areas where water exists at or near the Earth's surface, such as swamps, marshes and bogs. ... In addition to food, wetlands supply fibre, fuel and medicinal plants.