World
Wetlands Day (WWD) is annually celebrated on the 2nd of February. Government
agencies, non-governmental organizations, and citizens annually undertake
actions aimed specifically at raising public awareness of wetland values and
benefits and, in particularly, the Ramsar Convention.
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| Source: UN |
Theme for 2017
The Standing Committee of the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands accepted “Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction” as this
year’s theme, during its 52nd meeting held in Gland, Switzerland from 13 – 17
June 2016. It was selected to raise awareness and it plays an essential role in
reducing the effect of extreme weather events including floods, droughts and
cyclones on communities. In fact, healthy wetlands help us cope with extreme weather
events and in helping to build resilience.
The Ramsar Convention defines a wetland as
“any land or area that is saturated or flooded with water, either permanently
or seasonally, along with all beaches and shallow coastal areas, including 6
meters into the sea. This definition covers all inland wetlands such as
marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, floodplains, and swamps as well as the
whole range of coastal wetlands, which includes saltwater marshes, estuaries,
mangroves, lagoons, and coral reefs”.
Learn more about this important
environmental day by visiting the official World Wetlands Day (www.worldwetlandsday.com). Here, you’ll
find valuable advice and inspiration to celebrate it.
