World Wetlands Day – Healthy forests, healthy wetlands 01
February 2011 | News story Wetlands, such as mangroves, peat
forests and freshwater swamp forests, are home to a wealth of
biodiversity. To mark this year’s World Wetlands Day on
Wednesday 2 February, IUCN is highlighting the role and
importance of forests in wetlands, of particular poignancy as
2011 is the International Year of Forests. This year’s World
Wetlands Day also marks the 40th Anniversary of the Ramsar
Convention. Ramsar protected wetland sites cover an area of 186
million hectares, about the size of Mexico, the largest
protected area network in the world. Wetlands provide many
services, such as food, fresh water and fuel, and fulfill vital
roles in carbon storage, pollution control and protection from
natural hazards, such as floods and storms. Water supplies are
dependent on healthy wetlands; healthy forests help to support
and protect wetlands. Yet, there are worrying signs that
wetlands are being lost at a higher rate than any other ecos