February 2nd, the World Wetlands Protection Day

February 2nd is the World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The Convention offers protection of the Wetlands and conservation of habitats of migratory waterbirds worldwide. The Ramsar Convention has 160 member countries and the International List of Wetlands includes 1912 territories with the total area of 187 million hectares.

In 1996 Georgia joined the Ramsar Convention and in 1997 Kobuleti Protected Areas and Kolkehti National Park received the status of Wetlands of International Importance.

In regards to the mentioned date, in the frames of informational week, the public lecture led by the Chairman of the Agency of Protected Areas Rati Japaridze was held at Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. During the discussion the Chairman talked about the function and importance of the Protected Areas in general and also emphasized the significance of wetlands in terms of proper function of the ecosystems and preserving the biodiversity. The meeting was conducted in an interactive mode and students attending the event had a possibility to receive answers to all their questions. These types of lectures will enhance environmental awareness, as well as improve the attitude and approach of the young people towards the protection of natural heritage in general.