The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 1999

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 was enormous.  By all accounts, the response may have been even better in 1999. 

2 February 1999 fell on a Tuesday this year.  That day of the week was not convenient for some people, and some organizations opted for the weekend instead -- and some, especially far up in the northern hemisphere, have opted for two months later when the ice thaws, and that's okay, too.  The essential thing is to keep the Ramsar values of the wise use of wetlands before the public, and however that may be done, all efforts, large and small, contribute to the whole.  If you were involved in WWD activities, large or small, wherever you are, tell us about it, and we will try to report on as many of these goings-on as we have time to put together.

Here are some of the materials supplied by the Bureau . . .

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). Posted 22 January and 12 February 1999, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.