World Wetlands Day 2016 was marked by more than 800 events addressing the theme of ‘Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods.' In recognition of the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the global observance event took place in the historic city of Isfahan, Iran.
2 February 2016: World Wetlands Day 2016 was marked by more than 800 events addressing the theme of ‘Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods.’ In recognition of the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the global observance event took place in the historic city of Isfahan, Iran.
In her message, Ania Grobicki, Acting Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention highlighted the “alarming loss” of wetland ecosystems, with 64% of the world’s wetlands estimated to have disappeared since 1900; many of them converted for agricultural use or urban development, “putting a billion livelihoods at risk.” Grobicki said the 2016 celebrations mark “the dawn of a new era” for wetlands, noting that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “map out the route from the vicious circle of environmental degradation towards a virtuous cycle where we preserve, restore and wisely use ecosystems precisely because they are vital for our prosperity.” Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment, and Rasoul Zargarpour, the Governor General of Isfahan Province, also attended the event.
The celebrations also coincided with the unveiling of three new Ramsar sites: Paraná Delta in Argentina; the Pokhara Valley Lake Cluster in Nepal; and Indawgyi Lake in northern Myanmar. The Ramsar Secretariat published 15 inspiring stories of wetland conservation projects and launched a photo competition for young people aged 15 to 24 to demonstrate how wetlands are essential for sustainable livelihoods.
Other initiatives to mark World Wetlands Day 2016 included the publication of satellite images of eight wetlands around the world by the European Space Agency (ESA). The satellite data were gathered as part of two ESA projects, the GlobWetland Africa project and the TIGER initiative ‘Looking After Water in Africa,’ which promote the use of satellite data for wetland management.
The Australian Government Department of the Environment published the February 2016 edition of Wetlands Australia, highlighting how wetlands act as centers of productivity in the landscape and how they can be managed to provide a range of services and benefits for communities. During celebrations in Hong Kong, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Leung Siu-fai, noted that over the past decade the Hong Kong Wetland Park has enabled more than five million local and overseas visitors to learn about the biodiversity and significance of wetlands through a range of educational programmes and activities that seek to promote conservation and ecotourism.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and entered into force in 1975. To date, 169 countries have signed the Ramsar Convention and over 2,200 sites have been designated and recognized as ‘Wetlands of International Importance,’ covering an area of approximately 208 million hectares. World Wetlands Day has been commemorated on 2 February since 1997. [Ramsar WWD 2016 News Updates] [UNEP News Release] [IUCN News Release] [CMS News Release] [World Wetlands Day Website] [Ramsar Wetlands Stories] [European Space Agency Story on Wetlands Observations] [Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update February 2016] [Hong Kong Government News Release] [IISD RS Story on Outcomes of Ramsar COP 12]