The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 1998 in Guatemala

What is World Wetlands Day? At the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee, in late October 1996, World Wetlands Day was officially designated for 2 February of every year, the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, as an opportunity for governments, organizations, and citizens to undertake big and small actions intended to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

This page is part of a series of reports on activities held on and about WWD '98 in various countries of the world, as reported to the Bureau.  If you should know of any other activities not mentioned on these pages, send us a note (ramsar@hq.iucn.org) and we'll add it to this list.

See also our earlier list of activities reported as planned for WWD '98, a repository of inspiring ideas in itself.

Guatemala

El día 2 de febrero se llevó a cabo una conferencia organizada por el Consejo Nacional de Areas Protegidas (CONAP) para celebrar el Día Mundial de los Humedales. A la actividad asistieron aproximadamente 40 profesionales de diferentes instituciones gubernamentales, ONG y universidades.

Los afiches producidos para la ocasión fueron distribuídos a diferentes organismos en todo el país. En un telenoticiero y una radio local se informó sobre la importancia de los humedales y las acciones que el país está tomando para su conservación y manejo. También se aprovechó la oportunidad para presentar el video de la Convención de Ramsar sobre el Uso Racional de los Humedales.

A conference to celebrate the World Wetland Day was organised by the National Council for Protected Areas (CONAP) on 2 February. It was attended by aproximately 40 professionals from government organisations, NGO and universities.

The posters produced for the event were distributed to different institutions within the whole country. A message about the importance of wetlands and the current actions for their conservation and management in the country was broadcast by a TV news program and by a local radio station. CONAP also took the opportunity to show the video of the Ramsar Convention on the Wise Use of Wetlands.

Oscar Lara, CONAP

The Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@hq.iucn.org). Posted 10 February 1998,  Dwight Peck, Ramsar.