The Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment welcomes the World Wetlands Day, which is celebrated on 2 February.
The slogan "t's time to restore wetlands" highlights the urgent need to prioritise wetland restoration and calls on all generations to restore degraded wetlands.
More than 35% of the world's wetlands have been degraded or lost since 1970 and reversing this trend is critical. Wetlands are places of inestimable value to humans. They provide important ecosystem services such as food supply, clean water, flood protection, shoreline stabilization and protection from erosion They provide "home" to hundreds of rare species of plants and animals, but are also areas for recreation and relaxation.
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 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. More than 2,400 wetlands from 172 countries, including Cyprus, are included in the treaty.
Wetlands have high levels of biodiversity, supporting many important species of flora and fauna. The presence of wetlands, such as Larnaca Salt Ponds, Lake Oroklini, Lake Akrotiri and Lake Paralimni, is also important for attracting tourism because it attracts many people such as naturalists, walkers and birdwatchers.
In addition, the artificial wetlands of our island, such as the dams, which now take precedence over the natural ones, are now also artificial ecosystems that host very important species of flora and fauna.
The Environment Department, in cooperation with other relevant departments, continues to implement European and national legislation for the protection and restoration of our island's wetlands.
(NΓ/IK)
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