World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day History

World Wetlands Day seeks to raise awareness of the value and importance of wetlands, their contribution to biodiversity, and the necessity to protect these unique and vital ecosystems. These diverse landscapes, found in every country, support countless animal and plant species, filter water, store carbon, and can even mitigate natural disasters. The Observance seeks to engage communities worldwide through environmental education, conservation volunteering, and sustainable management actions to safeguard these valuable habitats.

The inception of World Wetlands Day stems from the 1971 Ramsar Convention in Iran, which Australia promptly joined as a key founding member. Australia's abundant wetlands, accounting for an estimated 8% of the earth's wetland areas, are vital for both local and international ecosystems. Many migratory birds that breed in Northern Hemisphere countries such as China and Russia fly south to spend their non-breeding seasons in Australia's wetlands, making conservation efforts crucial. Furthermore, Indigenous Australians have maintained strong environmental and cultural links with wetlands for thousands of years, enhancing their significance within the nation.

World Wetlands Day is marked in Australia with various environmental activities such as community clean-ups, bird watching and plant species identification, wetland restoration efforts, and educational workshops on the importance of preserving wetlands. These events, run by environmental groups, schools, and government agencies, are designed to foster community engagement and awareness. Wetland conservation is an ongoing commitment; whilst World Wetlands Day occurs globally on February 2nd each year, Australia's initiatives run throughout the year to ensure continuous attention on wetland protection and biodiversity conservation.

Top 7 Facts for 2026 World Wetlands Day in Australia

• The theme for the 2026 observance is Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage, which highlights the profound and enduring spiritual, cultural, and ecological connections that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have maintained with Australian waterways for millennia.
• Australia holds the global historical distinction of having designated the world’s very first Wetland of International Importance, the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, which was added to the Ramsar Convention list in 1974.
• In a significant move for national conservation, the Lower Murray and the Macquarie Marshes have recently been listed as Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, sparking renewed public interest in the "booms and busts" of the Murray-Darling Basin.
• Australian coastal wetlands like the Gippsland Lakes and Moreton Bay are crucial hubs for the millions of migratory birds that navigate the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, an incredible avian highway stretching from the Arctic to the southern reaches of the continent.
• Modern environmental research is increasingly focused on the Blue Carbon potential of Australia's mangroves and saltmarshes, which are capable of sequestering carbon at rates significantly higher than those of traditional terrestrial forests.
• The upcoming WA Wetlands Conference in Western Australia will be a major focal point for practitioners and researchers to discuss how integrating Indigenous seasonal knowledge can help restore the health of the state's iconic estuaries and billabongs.
• With nearly 90 percent of the world's wetlands having been degraded since the 1700s, Australia's 67 designated Ramsar sites, covering over 8.3 million hectares, serve as vital "sponge cities" that naturally mitigate the impacts of both flooding and drought.

In the News and Trending in Australia for World Wetlands Day

Top things to do in Australia for World Wetlands Day

• Go outdoors and participate in events and activities such as tree planting, bird watching.
• Spread awareness on social media by using hashtags such as #WorldWetlandsDay or #WetlandsMatter
• Read a book to learn about Wetlands:
  Wetlands in a Dry Land: More Than Just a State of Mind - by Emily O'Gorman
  Wetlands of the World: Inventory, Ecology and Management Volume I: Australia, The Americas and Antarctica - by David F. Whigham
• Visit the Wetlands Centre Australia, Newcastle: The centre occasionally holds special programs on World Wetlands Day that includes bike tours, tree planting sessions, bird-watching, photography workshops, and many more.