2 February 2020
February, 2 is World Wetlands Day. This year it is held under the motto “Life thrives on wetlands”. Wetlands help preserve fresh water, biodiversity and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The conservation of wetlands contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 15.
Wetlands are now disappearing faster than any other ecosystem in the world. In the last 50 years, 35% of wetlands have been lost. There are 863,000 hectares of wetlands in or close to their natural state in Belarus. This is about one-third of the area of wetlands before large-scale drainage – and 3,7% of the total area of Belarus. The wetlands are home to 40% of bird species, 35% of insect species and 15% of plant species included in the Red Book. For some wildlife species, Belarusian marshes are critical to global survival.
To draw attention to the importance of wetlands for sustainable development, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat, was adopted in Ramsar on 2 February 1971. Belarus acceded to this Convention in 1999. As of February 2, 2020, there are 2,386 territories in the world included in the list of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar territories) with the total area of 253,771,669 ha. In Belarus, the first Ramsar territory was the Republican Biological Reserve “Sporovsky”, one of the largest habitats of swirling reeds – a globally endangered species. In total, the Ramsar List includes 26 wetlands of the Republic of Belarus, 4 of which are transboundary.
In order to preserve wetlands in Belarus, the Strategy for the Conservation and Rational (Sustainable) Use of Peatlands and the Scheme of Distribution of Peatlands by Areas of Use for the Period until 2030, as well as the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the Conservation and Use of Peatlands” were developed and adopted.
More information can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
Video of press-conference on World Wetlands Day
The Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Peatlands and the Peatlands Distribution Scheme for the period until 2030
Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Protection and Use of Peatlands”
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