World Wetlands Day celebrated in the Laguna de Sonso, Colombia
The Ministry of the Environment of Colombia and the CVC (Corporación Autonoma Regional del Valle del Cauca) celebrated the World Wetlands Day in the Colombian town of Buga. The event took place at the wetland educational centre of Laguna de Sonso and attracted an audience of 200 people. The highlight of the day was the designation of a new Ramsar Site: the Complex of Wetlands of the Cauca River and Laguna de Sonso.
The event was opened by the Minister of Environment Luis Gilberto Murillo. In his speech Mr. Murillo stressed that Colombia will double the area of Wetlands of International Importance in short time with new extensions and new designations which are already in the designation process.
Welcome remarks were delivered by Director of the CVC, Rubén Darío Materón Muñoz, Dilian Francisca Toro, Governor of the Valle del Cauca Department, Julian Andres Latorre, Mayor of Buga and Senior Regional Advisor for the Americas Maria Rivera who represented the Ramsar Secretariat.
In her speech Ms Rivera recognized the commitment of the government of Colombia to the Ramsar Convention and highlighted that the newly designated 7th Ramsar Site, the Complex of Wetlands of the Cauca River and Laguna de Sonso, covers the area of 710,000 ha and is an important contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. She stressed that the process of designation involved the participation of local communities, local and regional municipalities and environmental authorities. As part of the rehabilitation process the iconic species of capybara and purple gallinule were released into the Sonso lagoon.
The World Wetlands Day event was widely covered by national and regional newspapers and radio stations.
Reported by Maria Rivera, Senior Advisor for Americas, Ramsar Secretariat