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By Anada Tiéga, Secretary General

THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS: 40 YEARS OF ACTION


Four decades after it was signed, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is pleased with progress to date in its activities and reaffirms the crucial importance of wetland ecosystems for sustainable development.


Anada Tiéga, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention.


Wetlands

Wetlands are natural landscapes found from the mountains to the seas. They include rivers and their tributaries, floodplains, lakes, estuaries, deltas, peatlands, oases, coastal zones, including mangroves and coral reefs, among others.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The 2nd February 2011 marked the fortieth anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed in the town of Ramsar in Iran on that date. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands seeks to achieve the conservation and rational use of the 42 different types of wetlands as key assets for different sectors including agriculture and food security, forestry, energy, water supply, health, rural and urban settlements, industry, tourism, fauna, trade and transport, all of which contribute to sustainable socio-economic development.

The Mission of the Ramsar Convention

The Mission of Ramsar is global. It focuses on the conservation and rational use of wetlands through local and national action as well as international cooperation to contribute to the realization of sustainable development throughout the world. The Convention is articulated around three pillars: rational use of wetlands, the designation of Wetlands of International Importance (known as Ramsar Sites), and International Cooperation to strengthen the conservation and rational use of wetlands.

Taking stock of 40 years of implementation

At lot has been achieved over the last 40 years. The signature of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 by the representatives of 18 nations was the culmination of 9 years of hard work and careful diplomacy on the part of many people devoted to the cause. Forty years have now passed and today the Convention numbers 160 signatory countries – practically nine times the original number – and it is possible to observe the remarkable progress that has been achieved in that time. The Convention has become the spearhead of global efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their water resources, as well as for the conservation of the diversity of life that they support.
 

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