Wetlands are needed for human survival.

 



Covering more than 12.1 million square kilometers worldwide – about 6% of the Earth’s land surface – wetlands are needed for human survival. In these essential ecosystems, water is the primary factor controlling the environment and plant and animal life. Wetlands may be saltwater or freshwater, inland or coastal, natural or human-made, permanent or temporary, static or flowing. Freshwater wetlands include rivers, lakes, pools, flood plains, peatlands, marshes and swamps. Saltwater wetlands include estuaries, mudflats, saltwater marshes, mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs and shellfish reefs. Human-made wetlands include fishponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and saltpans. All contribute to the wellbeing of our planet and humankind.


“WHEREVER LAND MEETS WATER, LIFE ABOUNDS. WETLANDS EXIST IN EVERY CORNER OF THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET AND ARE THE ARTERIES AND VEINS OF THE LANDSCAPE.” – Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands.

Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands.


Location: Ramsar, Mazandaran Province, Iran

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