World Wetlands Day 2007

What is World Wetlands Day? 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. WWD was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and made an encouraging beginning. Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular. From 1997 to 2006, the Convention’s Web site has posted reports from more than 90 countries of WWD activities of all sizes and shapes, from lectures and seminars, nature walks, children’s art contests, sampan races, and community clean-up days, to radio and television interviews and letters to newspapers, to the launch of new wetland policies, new Ramsar sites, and new programmes at the national level.

To read more on World Wetlands Day 2007 as well as to view reports on events hosted across the globe you can visit the website of the Ramsar Convention.
 

 Activities reported from the Mediterranean

ALGERIA Célébration de la journée mondiale des zones humides par Monsieur le Ministre de l’Agriculture et du Développement Rural et la responsable du Fonds Mondial pour la nature de méditerranée (WWF Med Po), invités officiels à cette manifestation, pour annoncer le lancement en 2007 de divers projets. Read more

ALBANIA On the occasion of the World Wetland Day, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, will organize in Korca, the Inception Workshop of the “Integrated Ecosystem Management in Prespa Lakes Basin” Project. Read more

FRANCE 1, Arles Conférence-débat-repas organisé par le CPIE Rhône-Pays d'Arles “Protection des zones humides et exploitation par la pêche : conflit ou synergie ?” Le 30 janvier 2007 en Arles au restaurant fluvial Le Boatel. Read more

FRANCE 2, Camargue En Camargue, première zone protégée selon la convention de Ramsar en France, du 29 janvier au 04 février 2007 auront lieu les journées mondiales des zones humidesl. Nombreux partenaires locaux se sont mobilisés pour présenter un programme diversifié d'activités. Read more

FRANCE 3 The Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development of France has designated France's 24th Wetland of International Importance on the occasion of World Wetlands Day 2007. Read more  Source: website of the Ramsar Convention where photos are also available

FRANCE 4 Tobias Salathe and Dorothea August, Senior and Assistant Advisors for Europe of the Ramsar Secretariat, participated in a joint WWD celebration at the Lac du Bourget Ramsar site in France, 1-2 February. Source: website of the Ramsar Convention where more details are also available
 

FRANCE 5. "Metrofrance, a daily newspaper distributed for free across France’s ten biggest city agglomerations (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Lille, Strasbourg, etc.) – and therefore read by millions of commuters - has published today an article on WWD, Ramsar and the newest Ramsar site designation in Corsica Read the story  Source: website of the Ramsar Convention

FRANCE 6 La Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat inaugurates its new website. Read more

France 7. Aline Antoine, Animatrice des contrats territoriaux de la Vesle, SIABAVE, Reims, et Francis Guidou, CSP, ecrivent, " Bonjour, vous trouverez ci-joint un compte-rendu de la journee mondiale des zones humides de Courville (51) et des les mails suivants les photos." Source: website of the Ramsar Convention

GREECE 1 MedWet Secretariat Featuring photographs of three contemporary Greek photographers the exhibition highlights the relation of man and wetlands. Art works of children created especially for World wetlands day will be presented as of 5 February. A continuous screening of eight films focusing on water ran throughout the duration of the exhibition. The screening was also hosted at the French Institute of Athens between 5-10 February. Read more

GREECE 2 The Goulandris Museum of Natural History / Greek Biotopes Wetlands Center (EKBY) organised a workshop on Natural Ecosystems and Water in the framework of the project Gateway to information o­n natural ecosystems and water, on 2-6 February in Athens, Greece. Read more

GREECE 3 Α 20 day publicity period on World Wetlands Day launched by the MedWet Secretariat in collaboration with the public transport of Athens came full cycle o­n 2 February. Marking the adoption of the Ramsar Convention o­n Wetlands in 1971 the day is an occasion to take action to bring the message and sensitize the public o­n the values of wetlands. Read more

LEBANON Friends of A Rocha Lebanon Newsletter Special Issue Download (186 kb .doc)

LIBYA The WWD celebration in Libya will convene in Benghazi, the most city with wetland ecosystems in Libya. Read more

MOROCCO 1 Mme Hayat Mesbah, Chargée du suivi de la mise en oeuvre de la Convention au Maroc, écrit : "Le Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte Contre la Désertification a organisé une journée d'information et de sensibilisation à l'occasion de la journée mondiale des zones humides 2007 en collaboration avec l'Institut Scientifique de Rabat, le projet de coopération technique Maroco-Allemande et le WWF MedPo. Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention

MOROCCO 2 Tejjeni Yahya, professeur, ecrit: "Le C.L.E ou club laymoune pour l'environnement, est un club ecolo. cree en 2003 par les eleves du lycee laymoune a BERKANE. ville du royaume du MAROC. . . . Chaque annee le C.L.E celebre la journee mondiale des zones humides en realisant des activites de sensibilisation, au sein du lycee et au SIBE de l'emb. de la moulouya". Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention
 

PORTUGAL For 3rd February: Field/birdwatching trip to “Lagoa das Sete Cidades” (S. Miguel, Azores Islands), Field/birdwatching trip to Tavira saltpans and Castro Marim marshes and (Algarve – Natural Park of Ria Formosa and Natural Reserve of VRSA). Read more
 

SERBIA Nikola Stojnic writes: "Here are some photos from celebration of World Wetlands day in Serbia, held in Institute for Nature Conservation, Department in Novi Sad, February 2nd, 2007." Photos  are available on the website of the Ramsar Convention

SPAIN 1 Parc Natural de s’Albufera de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Friday, 2 Feb 2007
“Sounds from the infinite”: sounds and colours, a winter afternoon at s'Albufera. Guided tour.  Read more

SPAIN 2 Joan Miró, Departament Educació-Divulgació, Jardí Botànic de Sóller (www.jardibotanicdesoller.org), está escribiendo: "El pasado viernes 2 de febrero el Jardí Botànic de Sóller (España) celebró el Día Mundial de los Humedales con la finalidad de contribuir a la preservación de estos espacios. Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention

SPAIN 3 Julian M Cano Villanueva esta escribiendo: "Estimados amigos: En el Instituto Espanol Lope de Vega de Nador, en Marruecos, hemos celebrado el dia mundial de los humedales con las siguientes actividades: 1. Proyeccion de un power point continuo en el vestibulo del Centro durante todo el dia, referente a la importancia de los humedales, sus valores y la convencion Ramsar. Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention

SPAIN 4 Samantha Pastor, Monitora de Educacion Ambiental, Parque Natural de El Hondo, writes: "I send you the World Wetlands Day report with all the activities we have done in our park. Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention

SPAIN 5 From the Colegio Publico "Manuel Fernandez Juncos", Ribadesella (Asturias): "Se adjunta documento con la actividad a realizar en el Centro con motivo del Dia Mundial de los Humedales. Un saludo''

Read more on the website of the Ramsar Convention