The 2^nd February is World Wetlands Day.  The day aims to raise awareness about wetlands, and it marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty back in 1971.  Back in 1971 on 2 February, the Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar which sits on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

What are wetlands?

Wetlands cover areas such as shores, estuaries, mudflats, floodplains, coastal marshes, local ponds, the bog and pond in your garden, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and rivers.  They cover a very small of the earth’s surface – and yet they are one of the most important habitats on our planet.  WWT has lots of information about these areas - you can click to see it here.

"If rainforests are the lungs of the planet, then wetlands are the lifeblood.  As much as we need air to breathe, we need water to live.   The conservation of our wetlands is essential to all life on earth.”  

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT)

In 2026, the theme is Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge:  Celebrating cultural heritage

#CelebratingWetlands
#Wetlands and Cultural Heritage

Raising awareness is critical – most people have heard of forests and rainforests, but fewer have heard of wetlands.  Yet they are vital ecosystems.  Despite this, the World Wetlands Day website explains that, since the 1700s, almost 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s.   And we’re losing wetlands 3x faster than forests.  

A recent global IPBES assessment identified wetlands as the most threatened ecosystem. This impacts 40% of the world’s plant and animal species that live or breed in wetlands.

What are the threats to wetlands?

• Habitat loss:  many thousands of hectares have been drained for land  by humans for their purposes of housing, industry and agriculture
• Pollution:  WWT says that 80% of global wastewater gets released into wetlands without being treated.  Wetlands are under threat from pollution, fertilisers, pesticides – and yet wetlands can act as natural filters, removing pollutants from the water.
• Invasive species such as the common water hyacinth and animals (e.g. the killer shrimp) devastate wetlands. Unfortunately, water provides easy pathways for them to spread and grow.
• Our changing climate can cause wetlands to dry out – and this can have a terrible impact on amphibians, migratory birds and corals  for instance. But wetlands are carbon sinks – when we destroy wetlands, carbon gets released into the atmosphere. 
• Development, such as dams, and draining
  
  

Why wetlands matter to people:

• They provide us with drinking water
• They store a third of the world’s carbon emissions
• They buffer us from floods and droughts
• They are important for our health and wellbeing

Why do wetlands matter to wildlife?

40% of all plant and animal species live or breed here.

They are vital breeding and feeding grounds for migratory birds – stopover points, if you like. Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania) is one of the most important zones in the world for nesting birds and Palearctic migratory waders, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I) (China).  These birds use wetlands such as our coastlines to stop, moult, rest, winter or nest.  

Pantanal Conservation Area (Brazil) is one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems.

Sundarbans National Park (India) is formed of tidal rivers, creeks and canals and supports species such as the single largest population of tiger, and aquatic mammals such as the Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins, all under threat.

Mud, mud, glorious mud
The power of mud....Preventing climate change
Watch this video from WWT on You Tube 
to find out what mud can do to combat climate change

So what can we all do to help wetland conservation?

 WWT can create new wetlands in a few months and years – so your support can really make a difference quickly.  But there’s something we can all do to help and you’ll find more links and further resources further down. 

• Find out why they matter to people and wildlife.
• See what you can do at home to help wildlife.  Create a (mini) pond in your garden, local area or school - WWT or the RSPB can show you how
• Visit a wetland close to you if there is one, and spend time there.   Use your senses while you visit.  Listen to the sounds you can hear; look at the sights, smell the scents.  Connect with them.
• Find out which of your local conservation charities are working to protect and restore wetlands.  How can you get involved and support them?  Many of them will be working on projects which you may be able to get involved with. This could be by volunteering, donating, buying something from their online shop, becoming a member, spreading the word about them - there are lots of ways to help. 
• #WetlandBiodiversityMatters to see what’s happening
• Support an appeal for wetlands somewhere in the world
• Make a pledge to act for wetlands 
  
  

You can create your own wetland in your garden...
Here's how...



Will you make a pledge to protect wetlands?
See pledges already made here - 
and make your own pledge here!

There are a lot of efforts being made to help protect and restore and create wetlands.  For instance, the International Crane Foundation has been working to protect Africa’s wetlands for 30 years.  Find out about their work here.

On this World Wetland Day, they are advocating for:

• Protection of wetlands
• The reduction of human impact to minimise habitat destruction caused by human activity 
• Supporting crane conservation efforts
• Promoting awareness and education
• Encouraging sustainabity
• Advocating for climate change
• Getting involved in citizen science such as birdwatching or local conservation projects to help monitor populations and track their movements - this all helps contribute important details to build up a picture of the status of cranes and other animals

Further Resources

World Wetland Network – a collection of NGOs and Civil Society Groups all working for wetland conservation

Wetland Link International – a support network for wetland education centres which deliver engagement activities on site.  The WWT in the UK lead it; it has 350 members over 6 continents!

RAMSAR –  The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. 

World Wetlands Day – held every year on 2 February to raise awareness of the importance of wetlands and how we can all help

WWT – the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the UK.   Visit one of their 10 sites around the UK and/or visit their website to see how you can get involved.

The MedWet mission is "to ensure and support the effective conservation of the functions and values of Mediterranean wetlands and the sustainable use of their resources and services".  Visit their website here.  The Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative brings together 27 Mediterranean and peri-Mediterranean countries, all of which are Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971). Palestine and several organizations and wetland centres are also part of the MedWet Initiative.

The Global Wetland Outlook – take a look, it’s fascinating reading

The programme "Pangolins - the World's Most Wanted Animal" is being shown again on BBC2 tonight, Tuesday, 11th June 2025, 2020 at 9pm.

Don't miss it!  Although it's a repeat, the programme is very timely, given that these rather amazing animals are at the centre of the coronavirus storm. 

Pangolins are the world's  most trafficked animal - their scales are wanted in Chinese medicine.  Their flesh is eaten as a delicacy. 

Sir David Attenborough narrates the storm of the pangolin and gives hope on how we can save them.

There's a list of pangolin charities here