Statement by Martha Rojas Urrego, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands on World Wetlands Day 2 February 2021
21 January 2021Wetlands and Water is the theme to mark Word Wetlands Day in 2021.
The importance of global wetlands to sustainable development
Learn moreThe Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Number of Contracting Parties: 171
Number of Wetlands of International Importance: 2,414
Total surface of designated sites: 254,543,972 ha
The Site consists of the outer parts of two broad glacial valleys, both with many-channelled braided rivers. The rivers reach a fjord in a shared delta with large mudflats exposed at low tide. Various habitats are found, including meadows, marshes and pools. They provide feeding and breeding grounds for several bird species, such as the long-tailed duck and the endemic Greenland mallard. In addition, the Site contains the most important moulting area in Greenland for the king eider. Qínnquata Marraa and Kuussuaq also holds a significant portion of the biogeographical population of the Greenland white-fronted goose. The Site is remote, and is far from any human settlements, but hunting occasionally occurs there.