Fact Sheet 6 Convention on Wetlands

The Ramsar Convention: What’s it all about? The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, more commonly known as the Ramsar Convention, is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.

The Ramsar Convention today has Why should I care about 168 Contracting Parties (member Wetlands ? countries), and is so named for the city in Iran where the treaty was signed in Traditionally viewed as wasteland or a 1971. Through this agreement, member breeding ground for disease, wetlands are countries positively commit to: vital for humanity for a number of reasons: Wise use of all their wetlands Wetlands provide fresh water –– Designating sites for the Ramsar Freshwater wetlands give us our water for List of “Wetlands of International basic drinking, cooking and washing needs –– Importance” (Ramsar Sites) and their and for irrigation. conservation Wetlands feed humanity Cooperating on transboundary Rice, grown in wetland paddies, is the –– wetlands and other shared interests staple diet of nearly three billion people, and As of April 2015, there are over 2100 accounts for 20 % of the world’s food. designated Ramsar Sites covering Wetlands are nature’s shock absorbers more than 208 million hectares; The wetlands within river basins act as natural an area slightly larger than Mexico. sponges, absorbing rainfall, reducing flood The official list of Ramsar Sites is impact and this same storage capacity also available on the Convention website at: helps safeguard against drought. Mangroves www.ramsar.org. and coral reefs reduce the speed and height Wetlands on the Ramsar list are of storm surges and impact of tsunamis designated for their high value to the and hurricanes. country and the world for the ecosystem services and benefits provided. Wetlands are critical for biodiversity Wetlands are home to more than 100,000 known freshwater species, and this number What are Wetlands ? is growing all the time. Wetlands are also The definition of the word ‘wetland’, essential for many amphibians, as well as under the Convention, is any land area for bird breeding and migration. that is saturated or flooded with water, Wetlands create sustainable products either seasonally or permanently. and livelihoods Inland wetlands include aquifers, More than 660 million people depend on lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, fishing and aquaculture for their livelihoods. peatlands, ponds, flood plains and Wetlands also provide timber for building, swamps. Coastal wetlands include all vegetable oil, medicinal plants, raw material coastlines, mangroves, saltmarshes, for weaving and fodder for animals. estuaries, lagoons, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. www.ramsar.org

Fact Sheet 6.1 Wetlands are Ramsar Convention: disappearing fast working to prevent, Recent estimates show that 64 % stop and reverse wetland or more of the world’s wetlands have loss and degradation disappeared since 1900. Some Together with the Contracting of the main causes of the degradation Parties, Partners and International and loss of wetlands are: Organization Partners (IOPs), Major changes in land use, especially the Ramsar Convention works to: increased agriculture and grazing –– Encourage policies and land use Water diversion through dams, planning that integrate wetland issues dykes and canalization –– –– Enthuse the public about the benefits Infrastructure development, and services that wetlands provide particularly in urban areas, river –– Ensure significant investment into –– valleys and coastal areas. increasing awareness by working with –– private sector actors such as Danone- How are Ramsar Sites Evian and Star Alliance designated? Forge alliances that align private Ramsar Sites are designated and public sector actors to reverse the –– alarming loss and degradation by the National Administrative Authority, responsible for the Ramsar Develop financing sources for wetland Convention in each country, if –– conservation and management. they meet the technical criteria, and after due consideration of their relative importance.

Ramsar Sites support livelihoods

Philippines Kenya Argentina Tubbataha Reefs Natural Lake Nakuru Ramsar Site Lagunas y Esteros del Iberá Marine Park Ramsar Site Ramsar Site

■■ ■■ Both a Ramsar Site and a UNESCO World Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya’s iconic tourist ■■ Almost 17,000 visitors per year have helped Heritage Site, the park charges tourists sites. 60% of the site’s 245,000 visitors each to revive the local economy and build a a conservation fee, which is used to manage year come from abroad. International tourists conservation-based tourism around the Ramsar this protected area, to compensate fishermen are charged an entrance fee of $US 80, Site near Colonia Carlos Pellegrini. This has for the no-take zone and to fund livelihood while domestic visitors pay a reduced fee created new jobs and diversified livelihoods, initiatives for local communities. Scuba equivalent to $ US 11. Revenues totalled nearly with around 90 % of local people supported diving is limited to specific areas to protect $ US 8.4 million in 2010, which helped to through work in the tourism sector with the reefs from potential damage. pay for park management, with $ US 42,000 surrounding communities receiving assistance poured back into local conservation activities to establish nature trails and train local each month. tourist guides.

The views and designations expressed in this publication are Ramsar Fact Sheets are published by the Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention those of its authors and do not represent officially-adopted views Secretariat in English, French and Spanish (the official languages of the Ramsar Convention or its Secretariat. of the Ramsar Convention) in electronic format, and also in printed The Convention on Wetlands of Reproduction of this document in whole or in part and in any form form when required. International Importance, for educational or non-profit purposes may be made without special Ramsar Fact Sheets can be downloaded from: permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgment commonly known as the Ramsar www.ramsar.org/library of the source is made. The Secretariat would appreciate receiving Convention, is a global inter- a copy of any publication or material that uses this document Information about the STRP can be found at: as a source. www.ramsar.org/about/the-scientific-technical-review-panel governmental treaty that provides the frame- Except where otherwise noted, this work is protected under For more information about Ramsar Fact Sheets or to work for national action and international a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial-No Derivative request information on how to correspond with their authors, Works License. cooperation for the conservation and wise use please contact the Ramsar Convention Secretariat at: of wetlands and their resources. It is the only [email protected] global treaty to focus on one single ecosystem. © 2015 The Ramsar Convention Secretariat

Fact Sheet 6.2