February 2 - World Wetlands Day

Environment 2 Feb 2024, 09:53 2 081

Today, on February 2, World Wetlands Day is celebrated. The date was not chosen by chance, on this day in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar, to which more than 150 countries are parties today.

From Uzbekistan, 4 objects are included in the list of Ramsar wetlands of international importance: Lake Dengizkul (2001), the Arnasai lake system (2008), the Tudakul and Kuimazar reservoirs (2020), and the Sudochie lake system, included in the list last year. The total area of these territories is 674,400 hectares.

Wetlands, along with forests, are the most important oxygen regenerators, and the main value of wetlands is the ability to accumulate water and improve its quality. They function as a natural filter for water that seeps from the surface of the earth to a depth and replenishes groundwater reserves - an important source of drinking water.

In addition, swamps are a habitat for many animals, and first of all - waterfowl. They ensure the global unity of the wetlands system by migrating from one part of the world to another. Therefore, the protection of swamps primarily contributes to the conservation of birds living near water.