27 April 2015: The Governments of Colombia and the US have designated new Ramsar sites, ahead of the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP 12) in June 2015.

In Colombia, the Government has designated a site in the Orinoco-Amazon zone, where several rivers meet, and its flooded forests support 34% of the country’s fish species, besides many species of mammals, birds and plants. The site also has cultural value for indigenous communities who depend on it for their livelihoods. The ‘Complejo de Humedales de la Estrella Fluvial Inírida’ site is Colombia’s sixth Ramsar site.

In the US, the Government has designated a large section of the Eastern Lake Michigan shoreline, the Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands, in the state of Wisconsin as a Ramsar site. Forest and internal wetlands at the site provide breeding and migration habitat for many animal species as well as rare plants such as the dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris). It is the 37th Ramsar site to be designated in the US.

Designation of a site under the Ramsar Convention recognizes it as a wetland of international importance. The Convention provides for a non-regulatory approach to wetland conservation, which encourages partnerships, promotes tourism and increases access to funding opportunities.

Ramsar COP 12 is organized on the theme of ‘Wetlands for Our Future’ and will take place in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 1-9 June 2015. There are 168 Contracting Parties to the Convention. Globally, over 200 million hectares of wetlands have been designated as Ramsar sites. [Ramsar Press Release on Colombia Site] [Ramsar Press Release on US Site] [COP 12 Website]