Wuhan Declaration on Wetlands Conservation
Recently the ‘Wuhan Declaration’ has been adopted under the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP-14).
- The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty. This treaty was adopted in the year The treaty provides a framework for the conservation of wetlands and the judicious use of their resources.
- A wetland is defined as any land area that is seasonally or permanently submerged. For example; Lakes, aquifers and marshes, mangroves, peat lands, estuaries, coral reefs etc.
- The Wuhan Declaration calls for the adoption of practical measures to promote the conservation, restoration, management and sustainable use of wetlands around the world.
Key priorities of the Wuhan Declaration:
- Taking measures to prevent and reverse wetland loss on a global scale.
- Involve wetlands in national action to contribute to domestic legislation, plans and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Define strategic goals and priority areas for wetlands by establishing partnerships with civil society stakeholders, academia and the private sector.
- Underscoring the importance of healthy wetland ecosystems as a nature-based solution for mitigating climate change impacts, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Apart from this, another report was also presented in COP-14. It has been said in this report that the information regarding 75% of the wetlands included in the list of Ramsar sites is out of date. Parties to the Ramsar Convention are required to update information regarding their Ramsar sites at least once every six years.
Source – The Hindu
