World Wetlands Day: UN calls for protection of Wetlands
To mark the World Wetlands Day 2025, the United Nations Convention on Wetlands has called for the protection of wetlands because of its importance to human survival.
Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments; cradles biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival.
In her message to celebrate the day, Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands, said wetlands help to prevent natural disaster but it is been affected by climate change and unsustainable development activities.
She disclosed that the theme for this year celebration “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future” is of particular significant, as it this year the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15)will take place.
Every three years, representatives of the governments of each of the Contracting Parties meet to facilitate crucial discussions on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and to agree on a work program for the next three years.
The theme underscores the urgency of bold action to protect these natural habitats for the welfare of all people – and so future generations can continue to benefit from all that wetlands provide.
She urged global community to take action and stop polluting the wetlands, restore and sustain wetlands for future use.
Ivonne Hiquero, Secretary- General of CITES, said wetlands are nature line, adding that 40 per cent of animal species depend on wetlands.
The Convention on Wetlands is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”.
World Wetlands Day, celebrated each year on 2 February, marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
