The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) has asked other ministries, agencies and localities to take action in response to World Wetlands Day (February 2).

In a document issued on January 18, the MONRE ordered stepping up the communications work to raise public awareness of the significance of wetlands, and called for efforts in preserving and using wetlands sustainably.

It also suggested integrating wetland preservation into programmes, planning schemes and development projects.

World Wetlands Day 2021 highlights the contribution of wetlands to the quantity and quality of freshwater on the planet. Water and wetlands are connected in an inseparable co-existence that is vital to life, human wellbeing and the health of the planet.

The campaign is also an occasion to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It aims to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands at present as well as in the future.

As the first Southeast Asian nation to become a member of the Ramsar Convention in 1989, Vietnam has rolled out various activities to protect and use wetlands wisely, and built a legal corridor on wetland management.

So far, nine wetlands in the country have been recognised as Ramsar sites – wetlands of international importance – namely Xuan Thuy National Park, Bau Sau Wetlands and Seasonal Floodplains, Ba Be National Park, Tram Chim National Park, Mui Ca Mau National Park, Con Dao National Park, Lang Sen Wetlands Reserve, U Minh Thuong National Park, and Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve.