Of days and celebrations, did you know there is one that celebrates marshes and swamps of your planet?
On February 2, 1971, the convention of wetlands was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Also known as the Ramsar Convention, the World Wetland Day marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands.
Celebrated for the first time in 1997, the important day comes with a theme each year. The theme for 2016 is 'Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods'. Globally, more than a billion people make a living from wetlands; activities like fishing, rice farming and even tourism depend on wetlands.
As the photographs of Thol Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat, taken by Bangalore based Sanket Patel show, wetlands host a huge variety of life, provide natural sponges against river flooding and store carbon dioxide to regulate climate change, apart from protecting our coastlines.
15.26 million hectares are under wetlands as per National Wetland Atlas in India, with around 26 wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
But India isn’t doing much to save these from total destruction. Prafulla Bhamburkar of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) told TOI, “Even as the country is losing its wetlands at an alarming rate of 38%, our wetlands are ungoverned and unprotected. We have not learnt lessons on importance of wetlands, which are flood regulators, even after Chennai and Kashmir deluge.”
So what can you do for the wetlands around your city? Find out the nearest one to you and visit it to absorb its immense contribution to our ecosystem and livelihoods. Take photographs, start a discussion, spread awareness and ofcourse, support mother nature.
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