4 March 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Secretariat) has reported that the Governments of Iran and Viet Nam have designated new Wetlands of International Importance.

Iran’s 24th Ramsar site, the Kanibarazan Wetland, consists of a freshwater lake surrounded by diverse plant communities. The site is one of the most important habitats for waterbirds in the region, supporting over 20,000 birds with more than 100 bird species recorded at this site.

Viet Nam’s third Ramsar site, the Ba Be national park, is an ASEAN Heritage Park. It supports the only significant natural mountain lake in Viet Nam and is the most important wetland in the country’s protected area system because it is the only site that has a natural lake surrounded by a mountainous karst ecosystem. [Ramsar Press Release on the Iranian Site] [Ramsar Press Release on the Vietnamese Site]