Ramsar promotes the "wise use" of wetlands around the globe.
Signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1975, the Ramsar Convention is the only international treaty dedicated to a particular ecosystem. Signed by 168 countries, Ramsar signatories agree to cooperate to conserve wetlands around the world. Through this effort, 2,168 wetland sites have been identified as Wetlands of International Importance, leading to the preservation of 206,632,105 hectares of valuable wetland resources.
Ramsar uses a broad definition of wetlands, including saltmarshes, river floodplains, lakes, swamps, coral reefs, as well as man-made wetland structures like rice paddies, reservoirs and fish ponds. This broad definition adds an essential human element to wetland convservation, recognizing important ecosystem services such as agriculture and tourism upon which so many depend.
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
