2024-02-18 06:43:02
With the reception of the 6th grade of Katsikas Primary School on the 3rd bridge of the Anatoli – Katsikas pedestrian-bicycle path, on Friday February 2, the Epirus Protected Areas Management Unit participated in the celebration of World Wetlands Day again this year.
The students were informed about the importance of wetlands, the ecosystem services they provide and the problems they face. In addition, through the activity of bird watching with binoculars and a telescope, they got to know some representative species of aquatic and waterfowl, and completed the worksheet given to them.
This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day 2024 is wetlands and human well-being, and it is clearly captured in the statement by Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General for the Convention on Wetlands:
The relationship between wetlands and people is inextricably linked to life. Wetlands are central to our well-being. Whether providing clean water, providing food, or protecting us from extreme weather, healthy wetlands equal our well-being.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on February 2. The celebration raises awareness and increases people’s understanding of the critical importance of wetlands. In every corner of the world, people have depended on wetlands for years, deriving sustainability, inspiration and resilience from these important environments.
“Despite the numerous benefits that wetlands provide, they are degraded by humans every day. They are being destroyed by unsustainable agricultural practices which are a major cause of wetland loss through drainage and embankment. Many wetlands, especially those near cities, are polluted by human activities and further degraded by plastic pollution which is exacerbating the planet’s triple crisis of climate change, habitat loss and pollution and ultimately affecting human health. Current trends in residential development also pose a major threat to the conservation and rational use of wetlands in and near growing cities. As cities expand and demand more land, wetlands tend to be encroached upon and thus disappear three times faster than forests. We must therefore stop the ongoing destruction and encourage actions to conserve and restore these vital ecosystems. Let’s be part of the solution…”, says the Epirus Protected Areas Unit in its message.