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FAQs

What is the convention of Wetlands? ›

The Convention on Wetlands is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.

Since then, the Convention on Wetlands has been known as the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention's broad aims are to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve, through wise use and management, those that remain.

COP14 will take place 5-13 November 2022 in both Wuhan, China, at the East Lake International Conference Center (ELICC) and Geneva, Switzerland at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG).

Classification of Wetlands

The Cowardin system includes five major wetland types: marine, estuarine, lacustrine, palustrine and riverine.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA writes guidelines for determining whether a particular activity that will affect wetlands can be permitted and oversees the regulatory process conducted by the USACE and the state governments.

The Ramsar Convention is not a regulatory regime and has no punitive sanctions for violations of or defaulting upon treaty commitments – nevertheless, its terms do constitute a solemn treaty and are binding in international law in that sense.

Far from being useless, disease-ridden places, wetlands provide values that no other ecosystem can. These include natural water quality improvement, flood protection, shoreline erosion control, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation and natural products for our use at no cost.

The countries with the most Sites are the United Kingdom with 175 and Mexico with 142. Bolivia has the largest area with 148,000 square km under the Convention protection; Canada, Chad, Congo and the Russian Federation have also each designated over 100,000 square km.

The surface-area covered by Ramsar Sites are around 13,32,746.24 hectares. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar Sites in India with 16 Ramsar Sites.

Which is the largest wetland in the world? ›

Situated in the heart of South America, the Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland. At 42 million acres, the Pantanal covers an area slightly larger than England and sprawls across three countries—Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

What is the meaning of Ramsar sites? A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as "The Convention on Wetlands", an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975.

On 26 July 2023, the Secretariat confirmed that COP14 will be held at the Silk Road Samarkand Conference Center in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 12 to 17 February 2024. Follow Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage of CMS COP14 online. To receive SDG event notices, news, and analysis in your inbox, subscribe.

The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) is an inter- governmental treaty whose mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.

Event: 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD. The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) will take place in July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Wetlands are highly productive and biologically diverse systems that enhance water quality, control erosion, maintain stream flows, sequester carbon, and provide a home to at least one third of all threatened and endangered species. Wetlands are important because they: improve water quality. provide wildlife habitat.

One reason for controversies about wetlands is that they occur in a wide variety of physical forms, and the numerous values they provide, such as wildlife habitat, also vary widely.

Wetlands International is an International Organisation Partner (IOP) of the Ramsar Convention.

Development in wetlands in North Carolina requires a permit from either the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the N.C. Division of Coastal Management. Wetland permits are meant to protect the valuable wetland functions described above. Before disturbing wetlands, consult with one of these agencies.