[FONT=Courier New]**********************************************************
World Wetlands Day 2006: ‘Wetlands and water - supporting life, sustaining
livelihoods’
Islamabad: February 02, each year is celebrated as the World Wetlands Day
(WWD). It marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on
February 02, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the
Caspian Sea. Pakistan is one of the early signatory of this convention and
made its commitment to conserve this fragile ecosystem. WWD was celebrated
for the first time in 1997 and made an encouraging beginning. Each year,
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens
at all levels of the community take advantage of the opportunity to
undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and
benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular. The theme for
this year’s World Wetlands Day is ‘Wetlands and water - supporting life,
sustaining livelihoods’. Wetlands are transitional areas, sandwiched between
permanently flooded deepwater environments and well-drained uplands. They
often contain more plants and animals and produce more organic material than
any other water or land area. Aquatic habitats include permanently flooded
parts of estuaries and near shore environments like lakes, rivers, lagoons,
ponds, etc. Aquatic habitats are also critical to fish and wildlife as well
as economically and recreationally valuable to humans.
There are more than 50 definitions of wetland in use throughout the world
but the one which is used most widely on an international scale is provided
by Ramsar Convention which defines wetlands as “Areas of marsh, fen,
peatland or water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary,
with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including
areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six
meters (20 feet)”. Wetlands are both providers and users of freshwater. As
freshwater allocation is a challenging issue for maintaining the elusive
balance between agricultural, industrial and domestic demands for water, we
must emphasize that wetlands need water if they are to maintain their
structure and function.
The Convention on Wetlands came into force in Pakistan on November 23, 1976.
Pakistan presently has 19 sites designated as Wetlands of International
Importance (Ramsar Sites). Many of these Pakistani wetlands have been
declared ‘Ramsar sites’
through the work of IUCN in Pakistan, with 8 of them accepted in this
category only in 2001. The wetlands of Pakistan include flood plain wetlands
of major river systems and their extensive network of tributaries; saline
and temporary wetlands of arid and semi arid expanses inland; coastal system
such as lagoons, backwaters and estuaries; mangrove swamps; marine wetlands;
and offshore Astola Island in Balochistan.
The Water & Nature Initiative of IUCN Asia demonstrates the ecosystem
approach to water management in field projects around the world, supported
by projects that develop tailored tools for empowerment, governance,
finance, knowledge and learning.
Despite the importance of the range of resources and services which wetlands
provide, we have tended to take these for granted. As a result the
maintenance of natural wetlands have received low priority in most
countries. But even as apathy and ignorance continues to permit conservation
of wetlands, people are becoming increasingly aware of the loss of the
services wetlands once provided free of charge.
But wetlands have come under natural and human threats (from subsiding or
sinking land to draining or filling for new development). Restoring these
wetlands and improving aquatic habitats have become imperative to
maintaining an ecological balance through effective management practices. If
we want to prevent further degradation of this important ecosystem, there is
an urgent need to create awareness about their values and functions and
their sustainable management can ensure that our wetlands stay healthy and
continue to work for us.
Wetlands are for everyone and we need to conserve them for future
generations!
For more information, you may like to visit the following websites:
Pakistan Water Gateway:
[FONT=Courier New]http://www.waterinfo.net.pk](http://www.waterinfo.net.pk/)[FONT=Courier New]
Ramsar Web Pages on Wetlands Day:
[FONT=Courier New]http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/6/wwd2006_index.htm](http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/6/wwd2006_index.htm)[FONT=Courier New]
IUCN’s Global Website on Wetlands and Water Resources:
[FONT=Courier New]http://www.iucn.org/themes/wetlands/](http://www.iucn.org/themes/wetlands/)[FONT=Courier New]
IUCN Pakistan’s website on Wetlands:
[FONT=Courier New]http://www.wetlands.iucnp.org](http://www.wetlands.iucnp.org/)
[FONT=Courier New]Best wishes and regards.
Shahzad Ahmad
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Islamabad Programme Office