World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on 2 February, aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet.
This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
A call to take action for wetlands is the focus of this years’ campaign. It’s an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded.
2 February 2022 is the first year that World Wetlands Day will be observed as a United Nations international day, following its adoption by the General Assembly on 30 August 2021 in a resolution co-sponsored by 75 member states.
World Wetlands Day 2022 theme:
The theme for the 2022 edition is Wetlands Action for People and Nature, and it highlights the importance of actions that ensure that wetlands are conserved and sustainably used.
It’s an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded.
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How to spread awareness:
Some efforts are simple, some a tad difficult. The simple ones include your participation and/or encouraging others for it when some organizations are holding competitions on the occasion.
For instance, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Central National Herbarium, Howrah and the Central Media & Website Cell are going to organize a National Virtual Drawing Competition’ on February 2.
They have requested those wishing to participate to make a drawing on the theme of Wetland Day 2022, click or shoot their short videos while making the drawing and submit the entry between January 31 to February 2.
Not only would there be top three winners from each category, the drawing of the winners would also be posted on official social media accounts of the BSI for spreading awareness.
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World Wetlands Day Global celebration
As part of the global celebration, and in recognition of the value of wetland ecosystems in the Asean region, the Philippine-based Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB).
In partnership with the Department of Freshwater Wetlands Conservation, General Directorate of Natural Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia, the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, will be conducting a series of events for the celebration of WWD.
“As this year’s Asean chairman, Cambodia is underscoring the importance of enhancing the capacity of the region to respond against climate change and natural disasters,” ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on January 25.
