01/31/2025

Protecting wetlands for our common future

A group of great white pelicans stands in shallow water, while one takes flight with its wings spread wide. The setting sun casts a warm, golden glow over the scene. Buildings and trees are visible in the background.

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the German Federal Government's International Climate Initiative (IKI) is highlighting the need to protect and sustainably use wetlands.

“World Wetlands Day” has been celebrated on 2 February every year since 1997. The reason for this specific date is the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The international convention was originally aimed at the conservation and wise use of wetlands as habitat for waterbirds. However, its objectives have been broadened to include not only on the comprehensive protection of wetlands as important ecosystems, but also on the conservation of their biodiversity and ecosystem services. The convention focuses on the protection and wise use of wetlands, education and communication, and international cooperation. According to the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), the designation “Ramsar site” does not constitute an independent legal protection status, but is awarded as a predicate title. Contracting parties must d management plans for the sites and monitor their ecological status.

In the foreground you can see a lake, in the background a volcano
Arayat volcano behind the Candama Wetlands Conservation Park in the Philippines.

In the meanwhile, (as of January 2025), 172 countries have ratified the Ramsar Convention and there are now more than 2,500 designated Ramsar sites worldwide, covering a total area of almost 2.5 million km2. Comparted to the size of Germany (360,000 km2), the designated area is therefore already 7.2 times larger.

Global Biodiversity Framework of Kunming-Montreal Supports Ramsar Convention

The implementation of the Ramsar Convention is also supported by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Target 3 of this framework states that “by 2030, at least 30 per cent of terrestrial and, inland water areas, and of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, recognising indigenous and traditional territories, where appropiate, and integrated into larger landscapes, seascapes and the oceans”, while recognising and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

Ramsar sites in Germany

By acceding the Ramsar Convention in 1976, Germany committed to designate at least one wetland on its territory as a “wetland of international importance” and at the same time to ensure that the other wetlands are also used wisely. The contracting parties are to enter into an international cooperation for the protection of wetlands. According to the BfN, 35 Ramsar sites with a total area of 8,693 km2 have since been designated in Germany. These include more than 80 per cent of the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea and the open waters of the North Sea and Baltic Sea as well as three transboundary Ramsar sites: the Bavarian Wildalm together with Austria, the Upper Rhine with France and the Wadden Sea between Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

This is how the IKI supports the implementation of the Ramsar Convention worldwide

Germany is also committed to the conservation, restoration, networking and sustainable management of wetlands at the international level. Since 2008, the IKI has already funded 69 projects whose primary or secondary objective is the protection and sustainable use of terrestrial or marine wetlands, with a total volume of more than EUR 291 million. A further 60 IKI projects contributing to wetland conservation are currently implemented for a total of EUR 586 million, with three more in preparation.

Aerial view of a fishing boat over a seagrass meadow
Sustainable fishing in a seagrass meadow area.

These projects work at different levels of focus and with different approaches to wetland conservation, most notably numerous projects on ecosystem-based adaptation in water catchments around the world. These include marshes, peatlands and swamps, floodplains, lakes and coastal areas such as salt marshes, mangroves and seagrass beds. Peatlands in particular store massive amounts of carbon and optimise the water and nutrient balance of the landscape by means of storing and filtering water and regulating the infiltration of rainfall.

Protection of seagrass ecosystems

Coastal marine ecosystems also fall under the definition of wetlands and are protected by targeted measures. For example, the IKI project “Conservation of seagrass ecosystems – safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities” has been working in Asian regions since 2018 to reduce the pressure on seagrass ecosystems. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are trained in participatory research to collect data and identify important areas of seagrass beds. This information will then be used to involve communities and decision-makers in the development of seagrass preservation strategies. The project is also introducing alternative business models to improve livelihoods and raise funds for seagrass preservation. This will improve the long-term prospects for seagrass ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific.

Conservation of lakes and wetlands

The IKI project “Living Lakes - Strategies to protect the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems”, approved at the end of 2022, supports the conservation and restoration of lakes and wetlands and the protection of the associated biodiversity in ten countries in South America, Africa and Asia. Together with lake managers, agricultural and fishing communities and political decision-makers, measures for the sustainable and biodiversity-friendly use of important local freshwater ecosystems are being developed and implemented in ten countries.

Wetland management in India

Since 2018, the IKI has been funding ecosystem-based wetland management in eight Indian states through the project “Wetlands Management for Biodiversity and Climate Protection”. The project addresses management and capacity gaps and actively involves various stakeholders at the central, state government and local level. Specific activities include the development of the national online portal Wetlands of India, tools and guidelines for wetland management, and training for forest officials, area managers and community members, including an interactive e-learning course. Another important component is “Wetlands for LiFE”, a Communication Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) programme. The CEPA initiative includes film festivals, digital media training courses, environmental clean-ups and awareness campaigns.

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Contact

IKI Office
Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH
Stresemannstraße 69-71

10963 Berlin

iki-office@z-u-g.org

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