At an event held on Tuesday on the occasion of the World Wetlands Day, which is celebrated every year on 2 February, he said that the Code will be ready before the end of 2022 and will include, among other things, a hierarchy of actions to restore important degraded wetlands, general guidelines for organised groups and the public, and a framework for promoting research and activities related to monitoring and proper management and protection of wetlands.
"The importance of wetlands is enormous and multidimensional, as they are not only an irreplaceable indicator of the quality and sufficiency of a country's groundwater, but also make a key contribution to ensuring food and clean water, protecting against flooding and erosion and stabilising the coastline," he said in his address to the event.
He added that wetlands "shelter thousands of plant and animal species, many of which are rare or endangered, while also providing areas for recreation and relaxation." He added that wetlands can also enrich the country's tourism product as they attract a number of people such as naturalists, walkers and birdwatchers.
The minister said that the immense ecological importance of wetlands is recognized worldwide. On 2 February 1971, the International Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, was signed in Ramsar, Iran. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention includes more than 2,400 wetlands from the 172 countries that have signed the Convention, including Cyprus.
Under the Convention, the Larnaca Salt Lake, which includes the Great Lake and the lakes Orphani, Sorou and Aerodromiou, with a total area of 1.761 hectares, has been included in the list as the 1081st wetland of international importance, while it has also been included in the European NATURA 2000 network.
The Ramsar Convention, by adopting a protection resolution at the 12th meeting of the States Parties in 2015, recognized the special importance of Mediterranean island wetlands. The resolution calls on Mediterranean States Parties to take appropriate measures to protect their wetlands, the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Terra Cypria Organization, operating as an Environmental Protection Foundation and following the example of the Environmental Organization WWF Greece, proceeded in 2014 with the inventory of all wetlands on the island, natural and artificial, with an area of more than 1.000 square metres, resulting in the registration of 374 wetlands, of which 316 are artificial and 58 are natural.
He noted that water scarcity in Cyprus has led to the creation of many artificial projects, such as water reservoirs and extra-terrestrial reservoirs, which aim to store as much water as possible and enrich the underground aquifer.
He noted that water scarcity in Cyprus has led to the creation of many artificial projects, such as water reservoirs and extra-terrestrial reservoirs, which aim to store as much water as possible and enrich the underground aquifer. The island's artificial wetlands, which now take precedence over the natural ones, are now also artificial ecosystems that host very important species of flora and fauna, he said.
Source: CNA
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