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Young World
CELEBRATE A DAY
Protecting wetlands
RAJESWARI NAMAGIRI
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Wetlands are regularly or permanently covered with either fresh or salt water.
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February 2 is observed as World Wetlands Day. The theme for this year is ’healthy wetlands, healthy people. The benefit of Healthy wetlands are food, clean water, pharmaceutical products and more…
Healthy wetlands: Keep it clean
February 2, was World Wetlands Day.What is common to Bhitarkanika in Orissa, Harike in Punjab, Sambhar in Rajasthan, Rudrasagar in Tripura, Wular in Jammu & Kashmir and Bhoj in Madhya Pradesh? They are all wetlands. (Wetlands are areas of land regularly or permanently covered with
either fresh or salt water.) These have also been designated as Ramsar sites of international importance. There are 25 wetlands designated as Ramsar sites in our country. Wetlands are home to a variety of plants and animals, help in groundwater recharge, offer storm protection and flood mitigation, have immense aesthetic, cultural and religious value.
Ramsar is a city on the shores of the Caspian Sea in Iran where the Convention on Wetlands was signed on February 2, 1971.
Treaty
The Convention also known as Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits and the Convention itself.
February 2 is observed as World Wetlands Day (WWD) every year. The theme for this year is ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People’.
The benefits that we get out of healthy wetlands include food (e.g, rice, fish, etc.), clean water, pharmaceutical products, etc.
Mismanagement of wetlands could result in impairment of our health and even loss of life through the effects of water-related diseases, floods, and water pollution.
Children’s Media Unit, Centre for Environment Education, www.kidsrgreen.org
Act Now
Is there a wetland in your area—a lake, pond, dam or an estuary? Understand the importance of your local wetland in supporting human activities, plants and animals, in flood control and for harvesting rain water. Wetlands everywhere, particularly those in urban areas, are facing threats of encroachment, garbage, sewage and pollutants to name a few. Is your wetland threatened by any of this? Voice your concern in order to protect and conserve it. Think before pouring harmful chemicals, cleaners and detergents down the drain, chances are that they might end up in the wetland of your area.
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