2 February 2009 marks 12th World Wetlands Day!

Bonn,
2 February 2009
- With the slogan “Upstream-Downstream:
Wetlands connect us all
” World Wetlands Day
(WWD) is being celebrated in many different countries around
the world today. This year’s WWD theme underlines
the importance of wetlands to people and biodiversity and
highlights the interconnectiveness of ecosystems and the
significance of wetlands as one of the most productive habitats
of the world.

Wetlands provide drinking
water for humans and habitats for many species, including
a large number of migratory waterbird species. Many migratory
waterbirds could not survive without wetlands, because
these ecosystems secure their possibilities to breed,
nest and rest during their long journeys.

Efforts to conserve wetland
biodiversity and processes also help maintain the very
ecosystems upon which waterbirds depend. In turn, waterbirds
are considered to be flagship indicators of the health
of wetland ecosystems, as they are amongst the most studied
and regularily monitored species in the world.

World Wetlands Day marks
the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands
on 2 February 1971 and was celebrated for the first time
in 1997. Since then, government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of
the community have been encouraged to undertake actions
aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and
benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

For more information and
to learn how to participate in World Wetlands Day (WWD)
please visit: www.ramsar.org

Last updated on 16 June 2014