4 Feb (Sat): Celebrate World Wetlands Day at Sungei Buloh

Singapore has wonderful wetlands to celebrate on World Wetlands Day, 2 Feb! Mangroves, freshwater swamps and streams and more! In 2012, theme is wetland tourism. This cartoon charmingly illustrates some of the issues of tourism.

Click on image for larger view.
From the Ramsar website.

In Singapore, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve celebrates World Wetlands Day with special events on 4 Feb (Sat) including talks on mangroves, food tasting and displays of fishes and other mangrove creatures!

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve celebrates World Wetlands Day on 4 Feb (Sat)!

9.30am : Talk on "The Mangrove Forest" by Ria Tan
10.45am: Talk on "Migratory Birds & Wetlands" by Wang Luan Keng, RMBR

There will also be food tasting using products from the Mangrove Forest and fish species displays in the morning, and all day, a display of mangrove forest inhabitants.

More details on wildsingapore happenings and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website.

What is World Wetlands Day about?

From the RAMSAR website

World Wetlands Day marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar; thus also called the Ramsar Convention.

Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community take this opportunity to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

What is the Ramsar Convention?

The Ramsar Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world".

What is World Wetlands Day 2012 about?

Wetland tourism has benefits both locally and nationally for people and wildlife – benefits such as stronger economies, sustainable livelihoods, healthy people and thriving ecosystems. At least 35% of Ramsar Sites around the world record some level of tourism activity and this percentage is consistent throughout all regions. Of course it is important to consider tourism in all wetlands – not just those designated as Ramsar Sites – since the Contracting Parties to the Convention are committed to managing all wetlands.

It is worth noting that tourism is only one of the services that wetlands deliver. Ensuring well-managed tourism practices in and around wetlands and educating tourists on the value of wetlands contributes to the health of the world's wetlands and the long-term benefits that wetlands provide to people, wildlife, economics, and biodiversity.

More about Ramsar sites on the wild shores of singapore blog.

• What are the criteria for classifying Ramsar sites?
• What is the status of the Ramsar convention?
• Does Singapore have a Ramsar site?