2nd February: World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day is annually held on February 2 to celebrate how wetlands, which are lands saturated by water, help maintain biodiversity on Earth. World Wetlands Day is a great excuse to go tromp around in your nearest wetland, but it’s also a great chance to take a moment to think about the environment. Have a seat and let’s take a look at the wetlands and why it is important to have a day in their honor. Do you know what exactly a wetland is? A wetland can be defined as land that contains marshes or swamps. Since 1997, World Wetlands Day has been used to:

• raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits
• promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

  The UNESCO World Heritage Convention works continuously with other entities to protect the most important wetland systems in the world. Wetlands are currently protected under different designations, including the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme, and others, and some of these overlap. According to the World Heritage Review on Wetlands, more than 130 Ramsar sites are wholly or partially inscribed in 90 World Heritage sites, and all of these places have exceptional properties.