2nd February is World Wetlands Day

The World Wetlands Day was first celebrated on 2nd February 1997. Since then the global community unites around different wetland related issues each year on this day. 2022 campaign calls to take action and specifically to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing, and to restore those we have degraded.

Currently major part of the society is well aware about the significance of wetlands though in the last century they were perceived useless and even harmful, and drained in many areas. However, eventually people realized the role and importance of such ecosystems, and as a result the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat was signed on 2nd February 1971 in Ramsar City, Iran in order to improve the existing situation. This convention known as Ramsar Convention serves to the preservation of wetlands and protection of habitats important for waterfowl.

Georgia joined the Ramsar Convention on 30th April 1996, and put the peatlands of the central Kolkheti Lowland, specifically Kobuleti Protected Areas and Kolkheti National Park on the list of international wetlands.

Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis” (GSNE “Orchis”), which is implementing Keep Georgia Tidy Project funded by the Government of Sweden, provides its contribution to wetland protection as well. In the frames of the project, GSNE “Orchis” inventories, cleans up and bioremediates illegal dumpsites, which are often arranged on river banks and floodplains. These activities reduce pollution of such wetland areas, make them healthier and ensure preservation of their ecosystem services, such as water purification. These actions have gained particular importance during the COVID pandemic, as the heath of water ecosystems is essential to overcome the pandemic.