World Wetlands Day is being observed on 2 February

Every year World wetland day (WWD) is observed on 2 February.

The theme for the world wetland day 2015 is Wetlands for our future.

Significance of Day

• This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands also called as Ramsar Convention on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
• Each year on this day government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), and groups of citizens at all levels of the community raise public awareness of wetland values and their benefits. They also spread awareness about Ramsar Convention in particular.

Background

For first time, WWD was celebrated in year 1997 and since then it is observed every year. The theme for the world wetland day 2014 was Wetlands and Agriculture.

Some facts

• Currently there are 2,186 wetlands of international importance sites under the Ramsar Convention known as Ramsar Sites covering around 208,449,277 hectares km².
• The maximum Ramsar sites are located in UK i.e. 168.
• The largest area covered by the Ramsar sites is in Canada.
• The number of parties to the Ramsar Convention is 168.
• Ramsar Sites in India are 26 (as of September 2012).