The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) has reported that the Government of Turkey has named the caldera of the Nemrut volcano located on the western shore of Lake Van in the eastern part of the country, and one of the most important wetlands of Bitlis province, as its 14th Wetland of International Importance.
3 May 2013: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) has reported that the Government of Turkey has named the caldera of the Nemrut volcano located on the western shore of Lake Van in the eastern part of the country, and one of the most important wetlands of Bitlis province, as its 14th Wetland of International Importance.
The site qualifies for the Ramsar List under Criterion 1 on ‘representative, rare, or unique examples of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.’
According to the Ramsar Secretariat, the eastern half of the caldera is filled by pyroclastic deposits, while the western half is filled by a freshwater lake and a small lake with hot springs. Activities carried out on the site include recreation and tourism. The main ecological threat to the site is overgrazing.
Turkey’s designation contributes 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]