World Wetlands Day: Celebrating and Protecting Vital Ecosystems

World Wetlands Day
⬧ World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February globally.
⬧ The day also marks the date of entry into force of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran. It aims to raise global awareness of the important role of wetlands for people and the planet.
⬧ The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
⬧ This year's theme is 'It's Time for Wetlands Restoration', which highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration.
⬧ In the 75th year of independence in India, 11 more wetlands have joined the list of Ramsar sites to make the total 75 Ramsar sites covering an area of 13,26,677 hectares.
⬧ Of the 11 new sites, four are in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Designating these sites will help in conservation and management of these wetlands and efficient use of their resources.
⬧ India is one of the contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention signed in Ramsar, Iran in the year 1971, India signed it on February 1, 1982. During the years 1982 to 2013, a total of 26 sites were added to the list of Ramsar sites; However, during this period from 2014 to 2022, the country has added 49 new wetland sites to the list of Ramsar sites.
⬧ During the year 2022 itself, a total of 28 sites have been declared as Ramsar sites. There are 19 sites for the year 2022 and 14 sites for the year 2021 based on the date of the site being inscribed in the Ramsar certificate.
⬧ Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites (14), followed by Uttar Pradesh which has 10 Ramsar sites.