World Wetlands Day 1998 -- index page

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. In February 1997, only a few months later, a considerable number of countries undertook a wide range of activities aimed at using WWD to raise public awareness, and the worldwide response in 1998 has been enormous.

The Ramsar Bureau has produced a handsome, colorful, large poster featuring the words "2 February, World Wetlands Day" in a very large number of languages, and we'll send you as many copies of this as you think you can use -- just send your request to Montse Riera in the Bureau (riera@ramsar.org). It's free, and it's 60cm by 80cm, just big enough to paper over the walls of a medium-size waiting room or loo. So ask for enough copies for all your friends, and enough to take care of the loo.

Here is the Ramsar Bureau's report on World Wetlands Day 1998, so far as we've been able to learn.

Steal these logos. Use them. Sew them onto your school uniform. Steal all this other stuff, too -- plagiarize it freely, tell everybody about WWD '98.

Message de Delmar Blasco, Secrétaire général	Secretary General's message on WWD '98	Mensaje de Delmar Blasco, Secretario General
Une toute petite goutte d'eau	WWD98 Background paper: "Only one drop of water"	Tan Sólo una gota de agua
Idées d’activités pour célébrer la Journée mondiale des zones humides	Suggestions for Activities in Celebration of World Wetlands Day	Sugerencias para actividades de celebración del Día Mundial de los Humedales

"World Wetlands Day -- It's Happening!" (article), by Doug Hulyer, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, reprinted from Wetland Link International News, no. 12 (July 1997).

For further information, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). First posted 28 November 1997, updated 27 July 1998, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.