Event World Day
World Wetlands Day 2023
About
World Wetlands Day, celebrated each year on 2 February, marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
Wetlands are among the world’s most diverse productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. Wetlands are indispensable for the countless benefits or “ecosystem services” that they provide humanity, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials, and biodiversity, to flood control, groundwater recharge, and climate change mitigation. Wetlands are also essential for biodiversity: though wetlands cover only around 6% of the Earth’s land surface, 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.
However, wetlands as the most threatened ecosystem. According to the World Heritage and Ramsar Conventions, 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since the beginning of the last century. In most regions across the world, wetlands continue to decline compromising the benefits that wetlands provide to people. According to the Global Wetland Outlook, we lose wetlands three times faster than natural forests. Therefore, the conservation of wetlands is a vital task of humanity, which can help achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
2023 Theme
The theme for the 2023 edition is “It’s time for wetland restoration”.
Pitch for the Grant 2023: Call for project ideas in wetlands
On occasion of World Wetlands Day 2023, the Convention on Wetlands is inviting individuals, community organizations and social enterprises to submit pitches of project ideas or initiatives, which aim to contribute to healthy wetlands by either promoting conservation, restoration or improved management. → Submit your applications from 2 February to 2 March 2023
UN Decade on Restoration (2021-2030)
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration calls for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals. Only with healthy ecosystems, such as wetlands, can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity. The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for a sustainable future. That will include building political momentum for restoration as well as thousands of initiatives on the ground.
Events
Activities in Geneva for World Wetlands Day will be listed here. For more information on events organized by local actors, you may consult dans ma Nature Genève.
Ciné Environment House | Chaos in the climate of the Sundarbans
25 January 2023 | 12:45 – 13:45 CET | IEH1 & Online
Visite de presse | By invitation
31 January 2023 | 8:30 – 12:30 CET
Time to Fast-Track Restoration of Wetlands: Seven Priority Actions
1 February 2023 | 9:00 – 10:15 CET & 16:00 -17:15 CET | Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands
Pygargue à queue blanche : un géant plane dorénavant sur le lac !
5 February 2023 | 8:30 – 12:30 CET | Lagune des Eaux-vives et ses environs | État de Genève
Foulque macroule : la gardienne des roseaux
5 February 2023 | 9:00 – 11:00 CET | Lagune des Eaux-vives et ses environs | Rdv devant Baby Plage | NARIES
Fuligule nyroca : à la recherche de l'oiseau rare !
5 February 2023 | 9:30 – 15:30 CET | Lagune des Eaux-vives et ses environs | Muséum d’histoire naturelle de la Ville de Genève
Grèbe huppé : l’oiseau sous-marin à la conquête des ports
5 February 2023 | 11:00-12:30 CET | Lagune des Eaux-vives et ses environs | Groupe Ornithologique du Bassin Genevois
La Nette rousse et les Characées
5 February 2023 | 13:00 – 14:00 CET | Rdv au niveau du panneau didactique sur le quai Gustave-Ador | Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman
Ephémère : les dessous d’une vie pas si brève
5 February 2023 | 11:30-12:30 CET | Lagune des Eaux-vives et ses environs | HEPIA
Découverte du Fuligule Morillon
5 February 2023 | 13:30 – 14:00 CET | Rdv à l’embarcadère « Port Noir » | Pro Natura Genève
Les coulisses d’une roselière lacustre
5 February 2023 | 10:30 – 12:00 CET | Centre Nature de la Pointe à la Bise | Pro Natura Genève
Les canards de la Rade
5 February 2023 | 13:00 – 17:00 CET | Pavillon Plantamour – Parc Mon Repos | La Libellule
The Role of Geneva
As a global hub for environment governance and the host region of the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, Geneva is key place to protect wetlands and reverse the trend of global loss of wetlands. Many organizations are active in the region to conserve wetland areas locally and globally. Learn more about the importance of wetlands and the role of Geneva in our update below.