The United Nations (UN)’s World Wetlands Day is annually observed across the globe on 2nd February to create awareness about the wetlands, a critically important ecosystem on the planet and their vital role in the lives of the people.
- The day also marks the date of the adoption of the “Convention on Wetlands of International Importance” (Ramsar Convention), an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2nd February 1971, in the city of Ramsar, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in Iran.
The theme of World Wetlands Day 2023 is “Wetland Restoration”.
Note:
According to the UN, “Revive and restore degraded wetlands” is the theme of 2023 World Wetlands Day which highlights the importance of wetland Restoration.
2023 Campaign visual: The Ripple Effect:
Core idea: Our actions have an impact. One small action can trigger a ripple effect.
- The 2023 campaign visual shows a person restoring a wetland through the action of re-planting. The visual features the outward “Ripple Effect” with the headline “Its Time for Wetland Restoration”.
Background:
The World Wetlands Day awareness campaign has been organised by the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands since 1997.
- The first World Wetlands Day was celebrated in 1997.
On 30th August 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/75/317 and proclaimed the 2nd February of every year as the World Wetlands day
- The 2nd February 2022 marked the observance of the first-ever UN-recognised World Wetlands Day.
Convention on Wetlands:
The Convention on Wetlands provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Convention on Wetlands now has a global membership of 172 countries,
officially known as Contracting Parties.
There are currently 2,471 Ramsar Sites around the world. They cover over 256,192,356 Hectares (ha) (2.5 million square kilometres), an area larger than Mexico.
Wetlands:
Wetlands are land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally.
Types of 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 ecosystems where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life.
Importance:
The wetlands cover only around 6% of the Earth’s land surface but around 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.
The wetlands contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, freshwater availability, world economies, and more.
Wetlands and Climate Change:
The wetlands absorb carbon dioxide(CO2) slowing global heating and reducing pollution. They are often referred to as the “Kidneys of the Earth”.
Peatlands, the terrestrial wetlands, alone store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined and the Coastal wetlands also sequester carbon up to 55 times faster than tropical rainforests. But, when drained and destroyed, wetlands emit vast amounts of carbon.
Wetlands also provide a buffer against the impacts of floods, droughts, hurricanes and tsunamis, and build resilience to climate change.
Wetlands in Danger:
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests and are Earth’s most threatened ecosystem.
Nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s, and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests and around 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last 50 years.
About Ramsar Convention on Wetlands:
The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands is based at the headquarters of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland.
Secretary General– Musonda Mumba
