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9 things everyone should know about watersheds

1. Wetlands, water and watersheds
Water is the critical element upon which all life on Earth, and are wetlands - our rivers, lakes, wetlands, floodplains, etc .- which capture, store and carry water for us all. Wetlands are a critical part of the water cycle, water supplies wherever they live and whoever we are, farmers, factory owners, fishermen and families. When the rain falls on earth, can break through the water cycle by evaporating quickly into the atmosphere - can leach into the soil and end up in a waterway or groundwater - or you can remain as surface water that will eventually reach the ocean through streams, lakes and rivers. As we are a water-dependent species, taking care of wetlands - our 'connectors with agua', is not an option but an imperative.

'Use and abuse "are the words that best describe describe how we treat the world's wetlands. Today, only 21 of the 177 longest rivers run freely from planet source to the sea. Why? Because of the changes induced by humans to provide certain benefits to people, as more water stored for irrigation, improvement of river navigation and flood protection. The alteration of natural flow regimes of rivers, the fragmentation of waterways by building raised by men (dams, pipelines and dams, for example), the loss of aquatic habitat, species extinction, invasive species , water pollution, and depletion of underground aquifers, are just some of the impacts that our business has on wetlands. The thing to emphasize is that these changes only affect a wetland, for all wetlands are connected and the consequences, good and bad, of human interventions on the wetlands, often affect an entire watershed.

Excessive extraction of water in the upper reaches of a watershed can have a river and streams and associated wetlands he Incorporating hundreds of kilometers downstream, receive a lower water flow - or even stop receiving water -. But big changes do not affect only downstream, may even adversely affect the water cycle, changing rain patterns with consequent effects on other parts of the watershed and beyond.

wetlands are connected by something more than water. Our view of the wetlands should be broader than traditional engineers, should be that environmentalists are a living ecosystem, wetlands are a key element of our natural infrastructure. The River Continuum Concept recognizes that the flow of energy from plant and animal communities change as water goes down and what happens in any part of the continuum, can influence other parts of the system. The 'power' of living things can also go upstream (think of the salmon back waters from the ocean to spawn in the rivers and in freshwater eels do otherwise) and outward from the rivers and streams, flood plains, swamps and bogs. Here's an interesting story of what it's all connected, in Canada, the bears catch salmon from the sea in inland streams and are often carried into the woods to eat. The remains in putrefaction are an important source of nutrients to forest vegetation. Now that's 'connections'!

Given the scarcity of water in the XXI century is even more important to think about how we manage our wetlands, using them and abusing them. Do not just think of wetlands in our neighborhood. To manage effectively, we must act at the level of watersheds, which makes that task much harder.
2. What is a watershed?
For many people, watershed, watershed and drainage basin are used interchangeably and others may have different meanings: in these briefing notes consider them interchangeable.

How can we define a watershed? One definition says it is an area of \u200b\u200bland drained by a river. Encompasses all lands drained by the river not only himself, but also for all its many streams and tributaries, lakes, ponds, bogs and marshes connected to it, including most of the groundwater aquifers. Their final destination is flowing into the sea, usually through an estuary. Naturally, the watershed also covers the many inhabitants: humans and other animals, plants, bacteria, etc..

A watershed is like a giant bathtub that contains all the water that falls on its side and sends all the rain that falls on land surrounding a central river and then the sea. Typically, watersheds are separated from adjacent basins by a ridge, a hill or mountain.

As always, this rule has its exception.

endorheic basins are inland basins that drain into an ocean in them, is completely recycled water through evaporation or infiltration. It is estimated that nearly 18% of the planet's surface drains into lakes or seas endorheic as the Aral Sea, the Okavango Delta, Lake Chad, Lake Prespa, etc.

most important thing is that the wetlands that exist in a basin - rivers, lakes, swamps, and dams. - Are interconnected. In his capacity as the world's water connectors act as a series of major arteries and capillaries that keep us alive under us and all other living things in the basin. The surface waters are linked to most underground aquifers - groundwater often called - with the water-exchange in both directions. The boundaries of groundwater aquifers do not often coincide with those of the watershed to surface waters which are hydrologically connected, but in any case, are connected. Underground water sources are vital, and that store 97% of unfrozen fresh water on the planet, but so that the extraction of water from rivers or lakes have limits the possibilities of extracting groundwater is not are endless, and excessive extraction is similarly harmful to the water cycle and often cause the intrusion of salt water into underground aquifers near the sea.
Not all wetlands are wet all the time, but it will be play important hydrological and ecological functions in a watershed. Some are seasonal, ie they dry naturally, in part or in full, each year, and some are ephemeral, which means they can have water in them only visible from time to time, when it rained a lot or have received enough water from the outside. The importance of these wetlands is greater in arid climates, where they can provide shelter and breeding sites for many species of flora and fauna, but for them, not survive, and thus may be critical for people and livestock.

As we contemplate the sections that follow, a key message is that we all live in a watershed. This is part of our postal address: street address, city, county and watershed! This is why we all care about how to manage our watershed.
3. Upstream - downstream
Human activities can result in changes long-term in the basin, which will be good or bad as we do for the basin's natural resources - soil, water, plants, animals, even the air -. Who we are dedicated to wetlands, we know too well the negative consequences of factory wastewater discharged into a stream may have in their immediate vicinity and downstream, or the effect caused by runoff with high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates from cultivated fields, or raw sewage or inadequately purified purified or contaminated storm water from urban areas that flow into local streams. Is a long list of big and small unhealthy contributions to surface waters, and all this just downstream.

course, are not concern only the 'contributions' harmful discharged into waterways, so are many direct changes in their own way - dams, pipelines from rivers, excessive water extraction, invasive species, etc. -.

"We all live downstream" is something that can be said for most of us, but from a personal, local, national and sometimes international, we should also remember that we all live upstream from someone.

Much of what we do at our personal or professional basin impact, positive or negative, on people living downstream.

Sometimes 'downstream' can be a great distance and the negative impact can travel hundreds and even thousands of miles and even cross international borders.

In January 2000, a dam built with tailings from a mine in Romania overflowed and dumped 100,000 cubic meters of liquid waste streams containing cyanide and Lapos Zazar. The toxic plume was running to the river Szamos and then the river Tisza and finally into the Danube, on their way through areas of Romania, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. In four months there were three spills more than other places and take years to restore the rivers of the devastation they caused.
however, are not just accidents that cause serious problems. As a result mainly from overuse of agricultural fertilizers in many parts of the Mississippi River basin, not only the water of many rivers and streams in the watershed is unfit for bathing and other recreational activity, or drink, but every summer also appears a 'dead zone' in Gulf of Mexico
, where the river meets the sea. High concentrations of nitrogen in the Gulf create an area in which levels oxygen are so low, the wide spread of algae, which no longer supports a normal ecosystem and prevents, for example, the activities of commercial shrimp fishermen and professionals. This year, the most 'dead zone' ever recorded in the Gulf covered an area of \u200b\u200b21,000 square kilometers.
4. Watershed wetlands: Ecosystem services provide people
We see then, the interconnection of river basins and the health of wetlands is on them, and we must remember how important these wetlands are to us all.

hydrological functions of wetlands

• Flood mitigation. In recent years there has been major flooding throughout the world, with the consequent loss of lives, property and livelihoods.
Nearly two billion people live in areas considered at high risk of flooding. Flooding is a natural process essentially played a key role in the fertilization of the soils of the alluvial plains, and this natural cycle has supported the livelihoods of human beings for millennia, but now our engineering skills have enabled us to 'reclaim 'and isolate floodplains with dams, dikes, canals, etc., with the result that many modern cities and important agricultural areas are sitting on those old alluvial plains, that is, areas that are naturally shed excess water during storms and heavy rains. The scenes of devastation by floods that periodically television shows help us remember why we must strive to restore floodplains and build our back on the functions of flood mitigation wetland

• groundwater recharge. As we have seen before, underground aquifers store almost 97% of unfrozen fresh water on the planet. Potable water supply to a number people located between 1500 and three billion, ie a quarter to half the world's population and play an important role in irrigated agriculture. The nexus between wetlands and groundwater is complex and varies according to the wetland in question, but generally speaking we can say that many wetlands and groundwater sources are closely related. Some groundwater recharge depends almost entirely on land in the water filtration of a wetland and, conversely, the origin of water in some wetlands may lie within an aquifer. There are also some wetlands that provide water to aquifers and the make of them, as the situation at all times.
What value does this service charge?
The Hadejia-Nguru (Nigeria) play a crucial role in recharging aquifers that local people used to supply water to their homes, a service that is valued at $ 4.8 million U.S. year. Similarly, the value of water storage and aquifer recharge of 223,000 acre swamp in Florida has been valued at 25 million dollars a year.

• Water storage. Wetlands (including groundwater wells and artificial construction) are the stores of fresh water the world. What else can you say? We have them in stable healthy situation and we need everyone.

function Ecolog ones ic
• Improved water quality. If there is something all humans do and that impacts on wetlands is to produce waste. We do this in several ways: by introducing into our waterways excessive amounts of sediment by our practices of land use, large inputs of nitrogen, phosphates and, sometimes, pesticides, agricultural runoff, toxic industrial chemicals (including heavy metals), discharged either accidentally or deliberately, and domestic sewage and poorly treated sewage or untreated. Wetland plants help set the sediments and may be effective to remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus can also partly remove the pathogens.
expressly Constructed wetlands can remove the water even some heavy metals and other industrial waste or waste stored in sediments until they can safely withdraw. In fact, wetlands are water purifiers, but, of course, have limits, and when crossed, undermined the capacity of ecosystems wetlands to function normally and provide the many services we enjoy.

• Support biodiversity. In connection with its total area, inland freshwater wetlands have a higher species diversity of marine ecosystems or land. For example, let's see what happens with the fish: marine areas covering approximately 67% of the planet and inland waters only 1%, well, they host 40% of the world's fish species. Also calculated that 25% to 30% of vertebrate diversity is concentrated in wetlands or around them. This biological diversity is what keeps operating our wetland ecosystems.
• Areas of fish hatcheries. fish hatcheries are particularly important in coastal areas where the estuaries and oceans. Decrease the volume of water reaching them, or dumping pollutants from our water basins, can have dramatic effects on breeding areas that are critical for marine fisheries, our main source of fish.
The decrease in sediment carried by rivers to the sea, often because of dams can also reduce the 'nutrients' that ensure the quality of important nursery areas for marine fish. The floodplains of the watersheds also provide essential breeding areas for certain species of freshwater fish.

• Fishery production. Although inland waters only provide 10% of global fish catches are essential to the livelihoods of millions of people, and in some developing countries, is the sole source of protein. They employ more than 50 million people worldwide and offer recreational fishing opportunities to hundreds of millions.
In the Lower Mekong Basin, in Asia, it is estimated that every year are caught and consumed two million tons of fish and other aquatic animals, with a value of two billion dollars. Wetland ecosystems must have water in quantities and quality sufficient to support this vital food production.
• Cultivation of plants. Many species of freshwater plants living in large geographical areas. The most famous aquatic plant is, of course, rice, the staple food of half the world's inhabitants.
Although no aquatic plant that occurs naturally is exploited to the same scale as rice, other freshwater aquatic plants are used as fodder, are collected for human consumption and are used as building materials. Excess nutrients in wetlands can promote overgrowth of plants gradually deteriorating health of the wetland and causes the loss of some ecosystem services.
5. Water scarcity
Fresh water is our greatest renewable resource, which although rarely talks about the problems of water scarcity in the TV stations or newspapers. Although not directly affect them, most people know that there is a big problem and increasingly urgent. On our planet 2,500 million people live in river basins under at least moderate levels of chronic stress in terms of water - more than 40% of the world's population - and between 1,000 and 2,000 million have a high degree of scarcity. The amount of water withdrawn or extracted from fresh water systems is 35 times greater than 300 years ago and has grown 20% a year since 1960. We know we can not continue like this and yet, the situation is not better: The latest forecasts indicate that by 2025 up to two thirds of the world's population could live in water-stressed areas, being more likely to be affected Asia South Africa and the Middle East. Naturally, those who suffer most in countries with water problems are usually economically disadvantaged persons, ie, the world's poor.
The global food crisis is closely linked to water scarcity. Today, agriculture employs 70% of the water we draw from our wetlands and groundwater sources (and in some countries recorded higher rates), most of which is used for irrigation. Although only 17% of our crops are irrigated, the percentage giving 30% to 40% of world agricultural production, so it is not likely to reduce irrigation needs. With increasing world population, economic development and urbanization, it is expected to increase demand for the three major consumer of fresh water - agriculture, industry and domestic users - and that these high water withdrawals produce large changes in river flows essential to maintain ecosystems.
What they have in common the Colorado, Nile, Indus, the Murray-Darling and Amarillo? Are just some of the, at other times, powerful rivers in recent years has not always reach the sea or, when run into it and come with a very low flow. While this is due to many factors, the main causes of this shortage of water are excessive extraction of water for agriculture and physical modification of rivers, for example by building dams.
This water shortage and competition for it increases the need for an integrated approach to water management and wetlands the transport. While governments and research institutions are studying a range of options that can help find solutions to supply us all with a limited water supply (by collecting rain water, more efficient irrigation techniques, crop varieties, improved etc.) urges better manage the water we have and remember that a key element of the solution are wetland ecosystems that capture, transport, purify and release the water.
6. The consequences of urban settlements
In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment noted that "by 2007, globally, people in cities will outnumber rural populations "and other reports confirm this. The figures show that in high income countries, between 70% and 80% of the population lives in cities, a situation that is playing in developing countries. What is the effect of urbanization on watersheds?
We have already referred to the water cycle and how water moves constantly between the atmosphere, land and waterways. Urban areas tend to interfere in the natural cycle, especially when many of them, and some are especially great because they have large amounts of impervious surfaces. Roads, buildings, car parks, construction, typical elements of urban areas, do not let water through. In urban areas, rainfall is concentrated, rather than dissipated, as in the field. To prevent flooding, water is channeled through channels and storm drains and eventually lead to the streams or lakes. Are not all the same, since the water ends up in our waterways? Does matter, since, due to impervious surfaces, urban storm water can not seep slowly into the soil, replenishing groundwater or slowly emptying into streams, rivers, lakes and other wetlands and instead , very quickly channeled currents large volumes, causing erosion, flooding great potential, altered streams, impacting on downstream fish populations and other elements of biodiversity. In places where there is a natural vegetation cover, on average only 10% of rainwater becomes runoff, in an urban area increases to 50%.
are also harmful pollutants that fill our streets, from homes, construction sites, factories and urban workshops in the rain and go directly to our waterways. Labor intensive study conducted in Maryland (USA) locates the problem in perspective: "No basin more than 15% impervious cover - such as roofs, roads and parking lots - was described as the 'good' biological status."
problems of water quantity and quality of a watershed due to urbanization, are aggravated because urban dwellers are also to be connected to supply networks and sewage. Even in developed countries often do not pay attention to sufciente water purification, resulting in dumping of toxic compounds and the threat of waterborne diseases. In
developing countries, the problem is more serious, and it is estimated that 85% to 95% of sewage is discharged directly into rivers, lakes and coastal areas. No less than 1,200 million people lack access to sanitation.
These are some of the major impacts on the watersheds of urban settlements and almost ALL affect people living downstream of a much greater extent than people causing the problems.
7. Who's in charge?
When we analyze the interconnectedness of wetlands within a watershed, it is clear that effective management is being carried out at a basin, though sometimes pose administrative problems at the national, state, or province. When we think about the water cycle and the main source of freshwater for human use, we see that the watershed is the natural geographical and hydrological unit of water resource management. Currently, two approaches are applied to the management at that level, the integrated management of water resources and integrated management of watersheds.
From the perspective of wetlands, important to remember that these two approaches come from the water sector and its policies, so you should ask them where they are on wetlands, which are the reservoirs of water in the world.
Sometimes not fit all, and this is the main problem facing those dealing with wetlands. Wetlands are the infrastructure 'natural' in a basin, so that when we plan some of the infrastructures 'unnatural' we use to manage water - dams, pipelines, dams, canals, etc. - We must remember that they can (and often do) interfere in the way how our natural infrastructure and often have negative consequences for the ecosystem services provided to people.
Integrated management of water resources and integrated management of watersheds, provide opportunities to the area of \u200b\u200bwetlands in each country to cooperate with the sector of water and land to be taken into account issues relating to wetlands where water is managed watersheds. From the point of view of the Ramsar Convention, perhaps the integrated management of watersheds is the most convenient approach because it is generally assumed a broader perspective that takes into account the ecosystem services they provide land and water watershed, not just water.
The watershed management involves planning and execution to be carried out at different scales - at the national (and international transboundary watersheds) in the watershed and at the local or community -. Clearly, all these levels must cooperate and participate actively to ensure that a wide range of stakeholders in these activities.
After all, who is in charge? Although a national government may have the general control of watershed management, there are many more 'management units' that have to have the capacity, financial and human resources to act on the plans for the basin and local sub-account, and all those flat wetland managers need to intervene actively to the planning and execution to maintain the integrity of data. There will inevitably be reached compromises between the water needs of humans and the ecosystems of wetlands to maintain their duties fully, and that is where the economic valuation of ecosystem services can present arguments in favor of wetlands.
The Ramsar Convention debated a resolution and some new guidelines on the management of watersheds, aimed specifically at wetlands sector whose purpose is to prepare the staff of wetlands to cooperate effectively with the water and land management water resources in a manner that respects the fundamental role of wetlands in the water cycle and hence its role in maintenance of water resources, while recognizing the many vital ecosystem services that require wetland ecosystems are in good health.
8. border challenges
water watersheds should be shared between uses (irrigation, industry needs, household consumption, etc.) And their users, for example, local governments, provincial and national of a country. It is estimated that 263 river basins crossing international borders in 145 countries, so that, for those countries, said the deal must also apply at the international level.
Europe has the most international basins (69), followed by Africa (59), Asia (57), North America (40) and the Neotropics (38).
These basins cover 45% of the world's land area, affecting 40% of people in the world and theirs by at least 60% of river flows, so they have enormous significance for what refers to the management of freshwater in the world.
Al have been identified and addressed the shortage of water during the last decade, much has been said about potential conflicts and even wars, shared water systems. However, the reality is that the trend is more toward cooperative interaction to the conflict. According to a study in the last 50 years, 1,200 have been identified cooperative interactions in shared river basins, compared to 500 reported conflicts without war, and only 37 incidents of violent conflicts (30 of which occurred between a country and its neighbors). In the second half of the twentieth century, were negotiated and signed nearly 295 international water agreements. This is good news. However, the problems of effective management of transboundary basins are immense, and there are few examples of resounding successes, although many important advances. Characterize the success is the large time commitment and financial contributions - measured in decades and millions - To make it possible to move forward.
the magnitude of the problem is what often makes it so difficult to solve. The Danube basin covers over 800,000 km2 Europe, with a population of 81 million people and covers all or part of 17 countries, the Danube River runs alongside of 2,780 km. The 13 core countries signed the Danube Convention in 1994 and, through it, have established the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), whose role is to ensure sustainable and equitable use of water resources and freshwater in the basin, in the context of the Framework Directive in the water sector in the European Union. Within this huge There are three sub-basin, where there are agreements between countries and management plans in place. Even with such strong political and legal mechanisms to support cooperative management, progress, while positive, are slow.
Mekong River Basin covers parts of China, Myanmar and Vietnam, nearly one third of Thailand and most of the territory of Cambodia and the Lao RDD - in total, the surface area amounts to 795,000 km2 and its main waterway The Mekong River is 4,800 km long. In 1995, the Mekong River Commission through an agreement between the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, while China and Myanmar partners acted in the dialogue. Considerable progress has been achieved, but the general problem remains significant. The Nile Basin covers 10 countries, more than three million km2 and is home to over 360 million people and the river Nile, the longest in the world with its 6,695 km. In 1995, he launched the initiative of the Nile Basin, which has a ministerial council, involving all countries bordering the river, and remains committed to issues of sustainable management.
Transboundary Ramsar Sites (SRT) have been appointed to act much smaller scale, but without leave to report significant benefits to the wetlands.
Under Convention, member countries undertake to consult when a wetland extends beyond national borders and some countries have taken the opportunity to jointly designate Ramsar sites or parts of a unique wetland system as SRT, to signal its commitment to collaborate management of the entire wetland.
The first SRT was appointed by Hungary and Slovakia in 2001 and since then have been seven more. Although this does not resolve the issue of wise use of wetlands at the basin scale, it helps the transboundary management of wetlands within watersheds.
9. The need for all to participate
As we all live in a watershed in one place, should participate in its management? Ramsar sites, there is ample evidence of the involvement of stakeholders in place in its management and other wetlands in the world. Although it can be problematic, there is a very different scale of participation of stakeholders in the watershed plan. Why should stakeholders participate in any of them? Because top-down management, without input from a wide range of users, is usually doomed to failure, has learned the Ramsar Convention in the 37 years he has dedicated to the conservation of wetlands.
Under the Framework Directive in the water sector in the European Union, a Union-wide approach to water management in watersheds, the participation of citizens is an obligation, not something optional. Defined at three levels - communication of information, consultation and active participation - must ensure the first two and encourage the third.
Normally, the first two principal obligations are addressed to citizens in general, the larger group comprising all those living in the basin.
are common communication tools web sites, television, newspapers, local fairs and meetings, which have shown good results in terms of keeping citizens informed and consult on current issues relating to watershed management.
Active participation is an approach to decision-making in which collaboration is much higher and, of course, takes much longer and is more expensive. It is this level of participation which is normally targeted to key stakeholders and NGOs. That said, what exactly is a stakeholder? A widely used definition is the one that says that this is a person, group or organization is interested in an issue because it may affect you or influence your results. Accordingly, in many basins are considered key stakeholders leaders population, farmers, fishermen, industrialists, local authorities responsible for water and wetlands, etc.

tasks are considerable, if only because many stakeholders often have scant knowledge of the complexity of the watershed, other than that acquired by experience, which makes it difficult, but essential, to achieve everyone reaches the same level of understanding. Although the tasks are great, so are the benefits - there are so many 'users' of water in the river, to reach a common understanding and appreciation of the diversity of needs to satisfy the different expectations and ensure a facilitated process that allows stakeholders to reach an agreement on management solutions, has proven to be worthwhile - and unless one is left out, it is likely that any management plan encounter problems of implementation.
In several pilot projects in watershed management course in the European Union has not been questioned at any time the participation of stakeholders, which is expected to be part of the process. 'Lessons learned' on their participation, agree with those of other similar assessments:

1. Good participation takes time. You have to start soon!
2. have to acquire and share the sense of ownership in the basin.
3. must establish and maintain trusted relationships with partners.
4. should make an "inventory" of stakeholders to better understand themselves and their interests.
5. Learning from mistakes is as important as sharing the successes.
6. Listening is as important as talking.
7. must defend the cause with passion, because passion is convincing.
8. must cooperate with others and reach a common vision of the basin, in order to put the management plan in the appropriate context.
9. Nobody can do it alone. True partnership takes responsibility and shared decision making for actions also shared. Wherever there
10. other cultures and traditions will have to agree key messages and meet your needs.

The watershed management is not new and there are many experiences, good and bad, which serve to guide actions today, with proven tools to find out who the key stakeholders and address their participation in the planning and management implementation. Can be time consuming and very expensive, but experience has shown that without it is impossible to effectively manage a watershed, and friends of the local wetlands can see how frustrated their efforts if not effectively managed the watershed of which they form part.

The Challenge of World Wetlands Day 2009

For these briefings were relatively easy reading, we may have oversimplified the complex situation of our watersheds in relation to water, wetlands and management, and He has not been possible to address in detail some issues. What we have done is to emphasize that threats to watersheds are diverse and necessarily involving threats to other wetlands. We do have a global problem of fresh water, which will worsen in the decades next.
is also clear that better manage our watersheds and wetlands is an important part of the solution. Therein lies the challenge of World Wetlands Day, after reading these few pages, what can you do to improve the watershed on which it depends?
In these nine sections, you can see yourself: fisherman, farmer, family, factory owner, person in charge of decision making in the area of \u200b\u200bwetlands, water development, director of a wetland, political, resident of a city or otherwise interested. What do you do personally or in their daily work detrimental to your watershed? And what can you do to help make it more effective management of the basin in which they live? Addressing
floods and droughts, diminishing the effects of invasive species, fighting the arrival of pollutants into waterways with good policies, sound decisions on water withdrawals for agriculture, to control the negative development of infrastructure , evaluate the consequences of urban development in waterways, regulate the collection of wetland products, use our water more efficiently, cooperating with neighboring countries in shared basins, are just some of the tasks we raised in the watershed and also are opportunities
we all have to find solutions with our own efforts, our organizations, citizens and our elected representatives vote.
Meeting these challenges with all the possibilities for action that are offered will help you and others to more effectively manage the watershed, and all existing wetlands inside. A natural result of effective management will be a healthy wetland, but there is much more to do.
What about to tackle some of the attacks we have done in the past against the wetlands? According to many experts, wetland restoration highly degraded or destroyed is a critical step in bridging the "gap" freshwater, the difference between what we have and what we need now and will need in the future and ensure constant delivery of ecosystem services on which we depend .
face up to the challenge!

Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention
Mauverney Rue, 28
1196 Gland, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 999 0170
Fax: +41 22 999 0169 e-mail
: ramsar@ramsar.org
Please send reports of activities for World Wetlands Day to wwd@ramsar.org
To learn more about the Ramsar Convention and the work performing, visit the Ramsar website, administered by the Ramsar Secretariat which is updated every day: www.ramsar.org
The mission of the Ramsar Convention is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation as a contribution to achieving sustainable development throughout the world. "