World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day Quick Facts - AU

ℹ HashtagsCompiled on18:06	#WorldWetlandsDay, #WorldWetlandsDay2024
Related Hashtags	#GenerationRestoration
2024 Date	2 February 2024
2025 Date	2 February 2025

2024 Holidays & Dates

		Australian & Common Holidays
		Misc. & Int'l. Observances
		Christian Holidays
		Jewish Holidays

World Wetlands Day in

Friday, 2 Feb

Days to go:

World Wetlands Day is an annual international observance, created to raise awareness of the value and importance of wetlands, their contribution to biodiversity, and the necessity to protect these unique and vital ecosystems. These diverse landscapes, found in every country, support countless animal and plant species, filter water, store carbon, and can even mitigate natural disasters. The Observance seeks to engage communities worldwide through environmental education, conservation volunteering, and sustainable management actions to safeguard these valuable habitats.

The inception of World Wetlands Day stems from the 1971 Ramsar Convention in Iran, which Australia promptly joined as a key founding member. Australia's abundant wetlands, accounting for an estimated 8% of the earth's wetland areas, are vital for both local and international ecosystems. Many migratory birds that breed in Northern Hemisphere countries such as China and Russia fly south to spend their non-breeding seasons in Australia's wetlands, making conservation efforts crucial. Furthermore, Indigenous Australians have maintained strong environmental and cultural links with wetlands for thousands of years, enhancing their significance within the nation.

World Wetlands Day is marked in Australia with various environmental activities such as community clean-ups, bird watching and plant species identification, wetland restoration efforts, and educational workshops on the importance of preserving wetlands. These events, run by environmental groups, schools, and government agencies, are designed to foster community engagement and awareness. Wetland conservation is an ongoing commitment; whilst World Wetlands Day occurs globally on February 2nd each year, Australia's initiatives run throughout the year to ensure continuous attention on wetland protection and biodiversity conservation.

Facts about World Wetlands Day

The theme for World Wetlands Day in 2023 was Wetland Restoration. The theme in 2022 was Wetlands Action for People and Nature.
The Pantanal which is located in South America, measures between 60,000-80,000 square miles and is the world’s largest tropical wetland.
More than 60% of Australia's waterbirds breed in the internationally significant Macquarie Marshes, a complex wetland system in New South Wales, which is also a Ramsar site.
Australia's largest freshwater lake system, the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland, is a Ramsar site and a crucial habitat for migratory shorebirds. It sustains more than 80 waterbird species, including the vulnerable Curlew Sandpiper and the nationally endangered Australasian Bittern.

In the News and Trending in Australia for World Wetlands Day

Updated 03:12 World Wetlands Day — Ducks Unlimited Canada

ducks.ca

World Wetlands Day 2023

unep.org

Defenders of Wildlife Celebrates World Wetlands Day with Some Unexpected Neighbors

defenders.org

Private landholders are the key this World Wetlands Day

nswic.org.au

Top things to do in Australia for World Wetlands Day

Go outdoors and participate in events and activities such as tree planting, bird watching.
Spread awareness on social media by using hashtags such as #WorldWetlandsDay or #WetlandsMatter