Ramsar Convention

An international agreement aiming at preserving and safeguarding wetlands and their resources is the Ramsar Convention, commonly referred to as the Convention on Wetlands. The name comes from the Iranian city of Ramsar, where it was adopted on February 2, 1971.

The Ramsar Convention’s main goal is to stop the global loss of wetlands and preserve the biological integrity of these places. Wetlands are essential for preserving biodiversity, controlling water flow, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal species.

The Ramsar Convention’s essential components and tenets include:

• Definition of wetlands: The Convention’s definition of wetlands is comprehensive, including places containing marshes, peatlands, swamps, estuaries, deltas, floodplains, mangroves, and other bodies of water, whether they are static or moving and natural or artificial, permanent or temporary.
• Wise Use Concept: The Ramsar Convention places a strong emphasis on the preservation and appropriate use of wetlands. The term “wise use” describes the ecologically sound exploitation of wetland resources while preserving their sustainability.
• Designation of Ramsar Sites: Ramsar Sites are identified and designated by member nations as wetlands with global significance. The Convention has established particular requirements for these sites, and they must also offer important ecological, botanical, zoological, limnological, or hydrological values.
• International Cooperation: The Convention encourages cooperation between member nations and other organizations in order to protect wetlands and aid developing nations’ conservation efforts.
• Plans at the National Level: Each member countries is urged to create and carry out a national action plan or strategy for the preservation of its wetlands.
• List of Wetlands of International Importance: The Ramsar Convention keeps a list of the places in the world that have been recognized as Ramsar Sites. There were more than 2,400 Ramsar Sites with a combined total of more than 254 million hectares as of my most recent report in September 2021.

One of the first international environmental treaties, the Ramsar Convention has been instrumental in increasing public awareness of the value of wetland habitats and their need for preservation. It encourages international cooperation and aids nations in joining forces to protect these crucial places for current and future generations.

Important Facts about the Ramsar Convention

• The only international agreement that covers a particular ecosystem (wetland) is this one.
• The treaty’s initial emphasis was on protecting waterbird habitats.
• The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Particularly as Waterfowl Habitat, is the formal name of the agreement.
• The pact has expanded over time to include all facets of wetland conservation.
• Three significant topics are covered in the Ramsar Conventions:
  • The 171 contracting parties must designate appropriate wetlands on their territory to be included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
  • The designated wetlands must be responsibly used and maintained.
  • The parties involved must use shared wetland systems over the territory of more than one contracting party sensibly and after proper consultation.
• The list of wetlands that are important internationally as of June 2021 includes 2422 wetlands.
• A regulatory system is not the Ramsar Convention.
• By the Paris Protocol in 1982 and the Regina Amendments in 1987, the Ramsar Convention was altered.
• The Montreux Record It is a mechanism connected to the Ramsar Advisory Mission that was established in 1990. It is a list of the Ramsar Sites that require immediate attention. The article that is linked provides more information about Montreux Record.
• Day of the Wetlands – In 1997, it was first observed. Every year on February 2nd, it is observed to commemorate the Ramsar Convention’s anniversary and to advance its goals.
• Every three years, the convention’s contracting parties convene for a conference (COP).
• There are six worldwide organizations that support the Ramsar Convention:
  • International Water Management Institute
  • Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
  • Birdlife International
  • IUCN
  • Wetlands International
• In conjunction with the convention is a six-year strategy plan. The most recent one is the fourth Ramsar Convention Strategic Plan 2016-2024, which was accepted during the convention’s COP12.
• The 18 members of the Ramsar Convention’s Standing Committee are chosen at the COP and serve until the next COP elects new members.
• English, Spanish, and French are the three languages used by the Convention.