World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2nd February, aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and planet. This day 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, its secretariat is at IUCN Headquarters in Switzerland, and UNESCO is the Depository Organization for signatory States.
Wetlands are variegated as inland wetlands, coastal wetlands and human-made wetlands. Inland wetlands;marshes, lakes, rivers, floodplains, peatlands and swamps. Coastal wetlands;saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons and coral reefs.Human-made wetlands;fish ponds, rice paddies, and salt pans.
Wetlands are of major ecological importance, with high biodiversity and a wide array of ecosystem services. They are also nature’s solution for storm water buffering and flood control, water quality preservation and groundwater recharge, erosion protection, and provide nurseries for fish and other freshwater and marine animals, and carbon sequestration. However, many wetlands across the world have undergone significant degradation with negative impacts on biological diversity and peoples’ livelihoods. The Ramsar secretariat reports that global wetland losses in the 20th century were 64-71%. At the start of the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration we desperately need to reverse this trend.
The theme of world wetlands day in year 2023 is wetland restoration.
– Source: Internet –