New Delhi: Every year on February 2, the World Wetlands Day is celebrated to raise awareness about wetlands. The days marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar convention which was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar on February 2, 1971. The day reaffirms our protection and love for wetlands, which are water ecosystems containing plant life and other organisms that bring ecological health in abundance to not only water bodies but environments as a whole.
When was the World Wetlands Day established?
The World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. On August 30, 2021, the UN General Assembly established February 2 as World Wetlands Day through a resolution. The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands organises awareness campaigns on World Wetlands Day and Contracting Parties of the Convention on Wetlands celebrate the day.
Why is the World Wetlands Day important?
Wetlands are ecosystems in which water primarily controls the environment and the associated plant and animal life. It can be both freshwater and marine and coastal ecosystems, like lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, mangroves, coastal areas etc. Due to the immense value of the wetlands, they are important to nature and people, and their benefits and services include multiple contributions to sustainable development and human wellbeing.
Even though wetlands comprise only around 6 per cent of the total land surface of Earth, it is the place where 40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed. Wetland biodiversity contributes to our food supply and health, and they help the ecosystem in several ways including flood control, water regulation and water purification. More than a billion people worldwide depend on wetlands for their livelihoods.
Unfortunately, wetlands are facing decline and degradation at a rapid pace. Several factors like rapid growth of human population, unsustainable production and consumption and associated technological development, and climate change are leading to the degradation of wetlands. Since the 1700s, nearly 90 per cent of the wetlands of the world have degraded and we are losing them three times faster than forests. On World Wetlands Day, environmentalists raise global awareness about the significant role of wetlands for the planet. People come together on this day to celebrate the wetlands and their love for nature and the value of wetlands in the life of every organism in the world.
The theme of the World Wetlands Day 2025
This year, the theme of the World Wetlands Day is “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”. World Wetlands Day 2025 is especially significant as it coincides with the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15).
World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on February 2, commemorates the Ramsar Convention’s anniversary. This day highlights the vital role wetlands play in biodiversity, sustainable development, and human well-being. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
