Key message for November: Healthy wetlands mean healthy people and sustainable livelihoods

Greetings from the Ramsar Secretariat,

Our key message for November is: “Healthy wetlands mean healthy people and sustainable livelihoods”

Healthy wetlands mean healthy people. In contrast, wetlands degraded through human activities – especially those that reduce water quality and availability – often have reduced capacity to deliver ecosystem services, which can directly and indirectly affect human health with impacts such as the loss of food production and local livelihoods. Degraded wetlands can also result in the emergence of infectious diseases and the resurgence of water-related diseases, again compromising human health, and they may reduce the availability of wetland plants and animals that have medicinal values of particular importance to indigenous people and local communities.

Intact, healthy wetlands deliver ecosystem services for the benefit of people: food security; water security; “insurance” through the formation of natural buffers to storm damage; as well as spiritual, recreational and educational value. For many communities, hunger, malnutrition, and a lack of access to clean water are among the root causes of poor health, and that health and well-being are closely linked to people’s livelihoods and to the basis for reducing poverty and vulnerability to poverty.
» Follow the link here to see our key message for this month and additional tools to expand on the message.
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With kind regards, The Ramsar Secretariat
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Sandra HAILS
CEPA Programme Officer
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
hails@ramsar.org
Tel: +41 22 9990176; Fax: +41 22 9990169
www.ramsar.org/CEPA-Programme/
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