Polski
What is World Wetlands Day?
World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on February 2 to make people aware of how valuable and necessary the preservation of wetlands is for humans and the environment. The day was chosen to commemorate the Convention on Wetlands, which was signed in 1971. in Ramsar (Ramsar Convention). To date, more than 170 countries have ratified it.
United Nations Day
World Wetlands Day has been declared an official UN holiday – UN General Assembly on August 30, 2021. adopted Resolution 75/317 on the issue.
Why do we celebrate World Wetlands Day?
Already nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded. The scale is huge, if only in comparison with the loss of natural forests, which we are losing three times more slowly. Wetlands are ecosystems that keep many organisms alive. Wetlands, combined with entire systems of rivers and lakes, contribute to mitigating climate change and maintaining biodiversity. They also play a significant role in pollution control and water detoxification. They act as natural filtering agents that absorb, among other things. Fertilizer ingredients, pesticides, residues from municipal, industrial wastewater and other wastes from the water flowing through them. They are therefore essential to the proper functioning of people and the global economy. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands and the consequences of losing these ecosystems.
World Wetlands Day theme for 2023
Wetland restoration is the theme of World Wetlands Day for 2023. The most common cause of their degradation is drainage, so any action to stem the outflow of water will be one of the most effective ways to actively protect them.
Are Poland’s wetlands under threat?
Although wetlands are valuable ecosystems, there is a huge disappearance of these areas in Poland. The condition of wetlands depends primarily on the ability to supply them with water and its quality. In our country, wetlands have been drained significantly since the 1970s. In the 1970s. By drainage systems. Water is taken for agricultural use. Unfortunately, in many places, despite the cessation of agricultural production, this is still the case.
Among the most valuable wetlands are peatlands, which, acting like a sponge, retain huge amounts of water, and according to estimates, their stored resources amount to about 35 billioncubic meters in our country. Unfortunately, more than 400,000. hectares of peatlands have been drained. These areas are also disappearing due to the extraction of peat, which is sold as compost. In terms of quality, peatlands must measure up to eutrophication, caused by nutrient runoff from agricultural land.
Polish wetlands
The Ramsar Convention obliges individual countries to designate wetlands of international importance. This list includes 19 sites from Poland, whose location can be checked on the Ramsar Sites Information Service website. It should be noted here that we have much more wetlands in Poland – natural and drained wetlands are found on an area of about 4.4 million hectares, which is more than 14% of the country.
Formal support for wetlands protection
In Poland, formal support for the protection of wetlands can be found in a number of legal acts. Among the most important are the Water Law, the Law on Nature Protection, the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Forests, and the Law on Planning and Spatial Development.
Who is responsible for World Wetlands Day?
The awareness campaign called World Wetlands Day is organized by the Secretariat of the Wetlands Convention. Parties to the convention have been celebrating World Wetlands Day since 1997, when it was established.
Celebration of World Wetlands Day
On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, a number of national and international conferences, symposia and meetings are being organized, including. A conference on the protection of wetlands in Poland on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, reported here.
