12 March 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that the number of designated Ramsar sites has reached 2,000. Presently, these 2,000 sites, covering almost 200 million hectares, constitute the largest network of protected areas in the world.

The sites have been designated by the 160 contracting Parties to the Convention. These designations contribute to one of the goals contained in the Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2015, which is to reach a protected area of 250 million hectares by 2015. [Ramsar Press Release]