WORLD WETLANDS DAY
2nd February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland and benefits in general, and the Ramsar Convention in particular. values
Ramsar Convention  The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands  The Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and the Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.
The Ramsar Mission The Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world".
World Wetlands Day 2012  Wetland Tourism: A Great Experience  The World Wetlands Day theme for 2012 is Wetlands and Tourism and is linked to the theme for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, COP11: Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation, which will take place in July 2012, in Bucharest, Romania.
Wetlands in Spain 1 PARQUE DE DOÑANA 2 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL 3 LAGUNA DE FUENTE PIEDRA 4 LAGUNAS DE CÁDIZ: LAGUNA DE MEDINA Y LAGUNA SALADA 5 LAGUNAS DEL SUR DE CÓRDOBA: ZÓÑAR, RINCÓN Y AMARGA 6 MARISMAS DEL ODIEL 7 SALINAS DEL CABO DE GATA 8 S’ALBUFERA DE MALLORCA 9 LAGUNA DE LA VEGA O DEL PUEBLO 10 LAGUNAS DE VILLAFÁFILA 11 COMPLEJO INTERMAREAL UMIA-GROVE, LA LANZADA, PUNTA CARREIRÓN Y LAGO BODEIRA 12 RÍA DE ORTIGUEIRA Y LADRIDO 13 L'ALBUFERA DE VALENCIA 14 PANTANO DEL HONDO 15 SALINAS DE LA MATA-TORREVIEJA 16 SALINAS DE SANTA POLA 17 PRAT DE CABANES-TORREBLANCA 18 AIGUAMOLLS DE L’EMPORDA 19 DELTA DEL EBRO 20 LAGUNA DE MANJAVACAS 21 LAGUNAS DE ALCÁZAR DE SAN JUAN (YEGUAS Y CAMINO DE FILLAFRANCA) 22 LAGUNA DEL PRADO 23 EMBALSE DE ORELLANA 24 COMPLEJO DE LAS PLAYAS, DUNAS Y LAGUNAS DE CORRUBEDO 25 LAGUNA Y ARENAL DE VALDOVIÑO 26 RÍA DE MUNDAKA-GUERNICA 27 SALINAS DE IBIZA Y FORMENTERA 28 SALADA DE CHIPRANA 29 LAGUNA DE GALLOCANTA 30 EMBALSES DE CORDOBILLA Y MALPASILLO 31 ALBUFERA DE ADRA 32 RÍA DEL EO O RIBADEO 33 MAR MENOR 34 MARISMAS DE SANTOÑA, VICTORIA Y JOYEL 35 MARJAL DE PEGO-OLIVA 36 LAGUNA DE LAGUARDIA (CARRALOGROÑO, CARAVALSECA, PRAO DE LA PAUL Y MUSCO
37 EMBALSE DE LAS CAÑAS 38 LAGUNA DE PITILLAS 39 TXINGUDI 40 SALBURÚA 41 COLAS DEL EMBALSE DE ULLIBARRI 42 LAGO DE CAICEDO-YUSO Y SALINAS DE AÑANA 43 SALADAR DE JANDÍA O PLAYA DEL MATORRAL 44 LAGUNA DE LA NAVA DE FUENTES 45 BAHÍA DE CÁDIZ 46 LAGO DE BANYOLES 47 LAGUNA DE EL HITO 48 LAGUNAS DE PUEBLA DE BELEÑA 49 COMPLEJO LAGUNA DE LA ALBUERA
Important Wetlands in Spain Delta del Ebro The Ebro Delta, in the Province of Tarragona, Catalonia, is one of the largest wetland areas (320 km²) in the western Mediterranean region. The Ebro delta has expanded rapidly on soils washed downriver—the historical rate of growth of the delta is demonstrated by the town of Amposta.
A seaport in the 4th century, it is now located well inland from the current Ebro river mouth. The rounded form of the delta attests to the balance between sediment deposition by the Ebro and removal of this material by wave erosion.
La Albufera de Valencia The Albufera is a saltwater lagoon and estuary on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the Valencia Community in eastern Spain. It is the main porton of the Parc Natural de l'Albufera ("Albufera Nature Reserve"), with a surface area of 21,120 hectares (52,200 acres). The year-round diverse biodiversity of the natura reserve allows a great variety of fauna and flora to thrive, and be observed
Tablas de Daimiel Tablas de Daimiel National Park (Parque Nacional de las Tablas de Daimiel) is a nature reserve in south-central Spain on La Mancha plain in the province of Ciudad Real. It is a wetland in an arid part of Spain. Tablas de Daimiel (TDNP) is the smallest of Spain's fourteen national parks.
It covers an area of 19.28 km². As well as having national park status, it enjoys international recognition as a wetland on the list of the Ramsaw Convention. It is the core of the Biosphere Mancha Humeda and is a Special Protection Area for birds.
The park is the last surviving example of floodplain wetlands located in the arid central part of the Iberian peninsula. Being located downstream from the Upper Guadiana Basin, TDNP play an important role in nutrient biogeochemistry. The wetland landscape is characterized by recurrent seasonal inundation which until recently was maintained by both river flooding and groundwater discharges. The highest inundation comprises around 17 km2. TDNP is one of the most important aquatic ecosystems of Spain and was probably the main inland wetland. It is important too because of the great amount of migratory birds that pass by the zone, like ducks and geese. Biological patrimony
Mar Menor Mar Menor (little sea or small sea) is a salty lagoon, in the south-east of the Autonomus community of Murcia, in Spain, separated from the Mediterranean sea by La Manga, a sandbar 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m. It belongs to four municipalities: Cartagena, Los Alcåzares, San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar. With a surface area of nearly 170km², a coastal length of 70km, and warm and clear water which does not exceed 7m in depth, it is "the largest swimming pool in the world" according to the opinions of the famous swimmer and Hollywood actress Esther Williams. Its relatively high salinity, which aids flotation, and remarkable sporting infrastructures make this one of the most popular places in Europe for the practice and training of all kinds of water sports. Phoenicians initially, then the Moorish kings, chose this "small sea" to install their summer residences here. Today, this place attracts all those who seek a quiet place to rest and relax, with ideal climatic conditions all year round.
Doñana National Park (Andalucia) Doñana is a Spanish protected natural space located in Andalusia with 104.970 has includes both the Doñana National Park (created in 1969) as to the Park of Doñana Natural (also called environment Doñana Natural Park or pre-parque, created in 1989, and expanded in 1997), and its large expanse of marshes is home during the winter to numerous species of waterfowl, which often reach every year 200,000 individuals.
Do単ana Mars Here lie waterfowl of all Western Europe, locating an infinity of species in the marshes and surroundings from Africa and Europe. With various scientific institutions in its interior are responsible for proper development of the neighbouring regions and the conservation of some very delicate species that live in it, considered the greatest ecological reserve Europa.2
It was named for Do単a Ana de Silva and Mendoza, wife of the 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia. It was declared world heritage by Unesco in 1994. In 2006 the Park received 376.287 visits.3
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra Fuente de Piedra Lagoon is a wetland situated in the Malaga province of Spain. It is used by the pink flamingo for its annual reproduction cycle, constituting the largest colony on the Iberian Peninsulaof this beautiful and delicate bird. The lagoon is fed by underwater springs that pass through mineral salt deposits, so the lagoon is saline indeed salt was havested until recently.
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra The lagoon covers an area of 13 square kilometres, it is elliptical in shape, its major axis is 6.8 km and the minor one is 2.5 km. However it is very shallow, in a good year it is less than 1m deep at its deepest point. Evaporation is a major factor for the lagoon. The Flamingos need a certain amount of water to breed and will desert the eggs if the lagoon dries out too soon. 2009 was a good year for the Flamingos just over 5000 young fledged. 600 of these were ringed.
Salinas del Cabo de Gata
The Salinas de Cabo de Gata are part of an area of ​outstanding geological and ecological value. As ecosystem water, have a singularity by the gradient salinity and relative permanence of the water.
Salinas del Cabo de Gata
Of undoubted cultural value, are the only remaining salt in industrial activity in eastern Andalusia. The extension Salinas de Cabo de Gata and its location at the end East of the peninsula give this location aimportant role in migration, housing an abundant and diverse aquatic birds.
This are some of our natural treasures that today we want to show because we have to preserve them for the future.