World Wetlands Day
A wetland is an area covered by salt, fresh or brackish water.
World Wetlands Day, funded by the Danone Fund for Water, is a special day held yearly on 2 February since 1997 and is still celebrated worldwide.
The event was established to create awareness around the diminishing occurrence of natural wetlands, the importance of wetlands to the biosphere as well as to promote the conservation of wetlands and water in general. It also serves as a commemorative day for the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971.
A wetland is an area covered by salt, fresh or brackish water. They include marshes, ponds, the edges of lakes or oceans, deltas and any low lying areas that frequently flood. Wetlands are important as many people depend on them for livelihoods. This is especially relevant to those involved in fishing, rice farming, travel and tourism.
Wetlands are also responsible for hosting a large variety of wildlife, protecting coastlines, protecting against flooding and regulating climate change.
Gauteng holds around 27000 Wetlands, some of which can be found at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, the Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands and even in residential areas like Weltevreden Park.
The chosen theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands For Our Future: Sustainable Livelihood”.
You can join the conversation around World Wetlands Day and Wetland Conservation on Twitter using the hashtags #WorldWetlandsDay and #WetlandsForOurFuture.
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