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World Wetlands Day : Why?
World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on the 2 of February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.
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World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since this time government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These activities include seminars, nature walks, festivals, launches of new policies, announcement of new Ramsar sites, newspaper articles, radio interviews and wetland rehabilitation.
World Wetlands Day 2008
The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2008 is "Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People". This is in recognition of the importance of the impacts of wetland-related diseases and poor sanitation on the quality of water and wetlands.
wetlands provide habitat for plants and animals such as amphibians, fish, reptiles, mammals and birds.
wetlands help control flood waters by acting like a giant sponge, absorbing water during heavy rainfall then slowly releasing it back into the ecosystem .
wetlands can assist in erosion control as they are often located between water bodies and high ground. The roots of the vegetation help to protect soil from high impact events such as wave action or heavy rainfall events.
wetlands are important culturally and for recreational activities.
wetlands enhance water quality as they act like giant kidneys, purifying and processing nutrients, suspended materials and other pollutants.
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 157 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1678 wetland sites, totaling 150 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
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