Online event on World Wetland Day by Wetlands International South Asia

About World Wetland Day: 

2nd February is celebrated worldwide as World Wetlands Day. The Convention on Wetlands was adopted on this date in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Popularly known as the Ramsar Convention, this intergovernmental treaty has 171 nations as its Contracting Parties. India is a party to the Convention since 1982. With 42 wetlands designated to the List of Wetlands of International Importance, India’s network of Ramsar Sites is the largest in South Asia, and next only to China in Asia.

The World Wetlands Day theme for 2021 is ‘Wetlands and Water’ which seeks to spread awareness on the inseparability of wetlands and water management. Wetlands, in their various occurrence, forms and characteristics, play an important role in the functioning of the water cycle. As water moves through the surface or underground, it passes through wetlands, which in turn regulate the quantity, quality and reliability of water.  Wetlands provide vital water-related ecosystem services at different scales (for example clean water provision, wastewater treatment, groundwater replenishment) and thereby offer significant opportunities to address water management objectives with sustainable, and in several instances, cost-effective solutions. The ecosystem services of wetlands can also complement human-made infrastructure to deliver water supply, sewage treatment and energy, thereby aptly being referred to as ‘natural’ or ‘green infrastructure’ or ‘nature-based solutions’ for water managers.

About the event: 

Wetlands International South Asia will be organising a virtual event to mark the occasion of World Wetlands Day 2021. Mr Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha, will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. Prof Asit K Biswas, Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Glasgow and a global authority on water policy and management issues will deliver the keynote address and delve into the ways wetlands-water integration can be pursued in South Asia region and beyond. Dr Sonam Wangchuk (thought leader and the glacier-man of Ladakh) will share his views on bridging the wetlands-water connect in the panel discussions.

The online event is being hosted on webex: https://wetlandsinternational.webex.com/wetlandsinternational/j.php?MTID=m7070ccdd02f82bb920d3d97cecfd48de

(Meeting ID:  176 625 0681, password: wwd2021)

For more info on the event, download the document from below