Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat
The treaty was adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and habitat upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. The benefits or “ecosystem services” that they provide humanity are indispensable, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials, and biodiversity, to flood control, groundwater recharge, and climate change mitigation.
While there are notable successes in protection and management of wetlands, the global area of wetland continues to decline.
Depository
UNESCO is the depository of the Convention, meaning that ratification or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of ratification or accession with the Director-General of UNESCO.
Secretariat
The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day coordination of the Convention’s activities. It is based at the headquarters of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland.
The Convention
The three pillars of the convention are:
- Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites)
- Wise use of all wetlands
- International Cooperation.
The first obligation under the Convention is for a Party to designate at least one wetland at the time of accession for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”). These Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) acquire a new national and international status. They are recognized as being of significant value for humanity as a whole.
Under the Convention there is a general obligation for the Contracting Parties to include wetland conservation considerations in national planning, and to encourage research and the exchange of data and publications regarding wetlands and their flora and fauna.
Since 1999, a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Heritage Convention and the Ramsar Convention leverages the benefit of cooperation and coordination of efforts between their secretariats recognising the unique niche these conventions occupy in the global efforts at biodiversity conservation.