site.btaBulgaria Marks World Wetlands Day

Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - On Wednesday Bulgaria marks World Wetlands Day, February 2, celebrated annually in this country for 25 years now to raise awareness of these vital habitats. This year's theme is "Wetlands Action for People and Nature".

On this occasion, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania co-hosted an international webinar on "Conservation and Sustainable Use of Saltwater Wetlands in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Region". The event brought together representatives of conservation organizations from Bulgaria, Albania, France, Spain, Montenegro, Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus, who shared best practices for sustainable use of saltwater wetlands that could be replicated to other sites.

To mark World Wetlands Day, on Wednesday and Thursday the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds posts on its Facebook page a series of videos where a team of experts present five wetlands in Bulgaria of key importance for people, nature, and birds: Sofia's South Park, the Maritsa river near Plovdiv, the Yatata protected area near Varna, the Poda protected area near Burgas, and the Peschina marsh near Belene.

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Bulgaria office of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said in a press release that this year, the Living Danube Partnership, an international partnership promoting the conservation and restoration of wetlands in the Danube basin, continues in Bulgaria with pilot activities not only for the Danube but also for the Iskar river. WWF Bulgaria will develop a pilot study on the management and use of waters in the Iskar watershed. Using innovative instruments, the NGO will present specific nature-based solutions for the sustainable use of the river's waters.

The Environment and Water Ministry reported that project proposals are now welcome for this year's grant under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Individuals, community organizations and social enterprises have until March 2 to submit on https://www.worldwetlandsday.org/grant pitches of project ideas or initiatives that aim to contribute to healthy wetlands by either promoting conservation, restoration or improved management. The winning project idea or initiative will receive 10,000 euro.

February 2 is the date on which the Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971. Bulgaria was the eight country to join this international agreement, which to this day remains the only one on the protection and sustainable use of natural resources that is directed at specific ecosystems. Since its entry into force in Bulgaria in 1976, a total of 11 sites have been included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance (Atanasovsko Lake, the Belene Islands Complex, the Dragoman Marsh Karst Complex, Durankulak Lake, Ibisha Island, the Poda area, the Pomorie Wetland Complex, the Ropotamo Complex, Shabla Lake, the Srebarna reserve, and Vaya Lake). They cover a total area of 49,397 ha, or 0.45 per cent of Bulgaria's territory.

Wetlands are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems. The Ramsar Convention lists as such, among others, lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, mangroves and other coastal areas, and all human-made sites such as reservoirs and salt pans.

/DS/