Bonn, 5 November 2022 - The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat – is the original name of what we today refer to as the Convention on Wetlands. 

The four words at the end: “especially as Waterfowl Habitat” are important for us at AEWA.

Ornithologists and hunters were the first to support the idea of international wetland conservation, because they understood the importance of international wetland conservation for maintaining migratory waterfowl. 

And while the Ramsar Convention quickly expanded to cover many other topics over the years, the younger African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) has remained focused on waterbird and habitat conservation.    

And what was true in 1971, is true today. Wetlands are still critical waterbird habitats, the conservation of which remains a top priority for the countries that have signed up to both the Ramsar Convention and AEWA.

In addition, I would like to highlight that waterbirds also add a dimension to the concept of wetland connectivity. Connectivity refers not only to the hydrological basin of a wetland system, but also a concept that recognizes that wetlands are also linked across continents through migratory birds.

As AEWA, we therefore strongly support the notion of continued international cooperation and “accelerating wetlands action for people and nature” in full recognition of the critical ecosystem services wetlands provide – for both people and waterbirds alike.