World Wetlands Day

5 years ago

Feb. 5, 2020 11:52 am GMT

World Wetlands Day is a day celebrated worldwide every year on February 2^nd. This event is an initiative of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This is an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The convention is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, where it was signed on 2 February 1971. World Wetlands Day is the annual commemoration that marks the date of adoption of the convention.

Since its adoption on 2 February 1971, 171 countries have become Contracting Parties to the convention, designating 2,331 Ramsar sites covering an area of about 250 million hectares of wetlands.

Each year, World Wetlands Day has a specific theme. This year, the theme chosen is “Wetland Biodiversity” as wetlands are home to a great diversity of wildlife and, as the world is experiencing an alarming and unprecedented loss of biodiversity, the conservation of these ecosystems is of high priority and importance.

Wetlands are declining significantly with 35% loss recorded since 1970, the date from which data is available. These losses, together with the reduced quality of the remaining wetlands due to the lack of enhancement of their rich heritage, the unsustainable use of land and resources, together with pollution, invasive species and climate change are seriously endangering the lives of many animal and plant species.

The Ramsar Convention entered into force in Ireland on 15 March 1985 and, to date, Ireland currently has 4 Ramsar sites covering an area of 66994 hectares. For more information about these important sites, about World Wetlands Day 2020 and about the Ramsar Convention in Ireland you can visit this link

Consider visiting your local wetland on Sunday 2 February or on another day at your convenience to highlight its importance, and in the process have a fantastic day in contact with the natural world. Here are our recommendations:

THE COUNTY MONAGHAN WETLAND TOUR