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Every year on 2nd February the “World Wetlands Day” is celebrated throughout the world. The UN General Assembly on 30th August 2021, proclaimed 2nd February to mark the importance of wetlands and to raise awareness of the urgency of reversing the accelerating loss of wetlands and to promote their conservation and restoration. The day marks the date of the adoption of the "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance" held in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
The "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance" provided a sound basis for future protection of wetlands. Through the designation of protected areas, the implementation of effective policies, and the sharing of knowledge, the Convention enables countries to take measures to protect their wetlands. This convention was adopted by 172 countries, and each signatory country had to designate at least one wetland located within their territories.
Considering the importance of the day, the Karot Hydropower Project requested the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the implementing organization of the Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP), to organize a series of events to mark the day. A celebration with the students of Government Girls Elementary School, Chanore, in the vicinity of the Project area was held. A general introduction of Wetlands, its history, significance & theme was discussed with the students by the IUCN’s Social Mobilizer.
The theme of this year’s event was “Wetlands Action for People and Nature” highlighting the importance of actions to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for human and planetary health. The school children were shown a short documentary titled “Wetlands of Pakistan – Places of Spectacular Beauty & Biodiversity”. The school children showed great interest in the documentary.
A parallel event was held at the Government Boys Middle School Azad Pattan upstream of the Karot Hydropower Project. Two Social Mobilizers and four watchers represented IUCN Pakistan. Local presidents of Village Coordination Committees also attended the event. A total of 7 students from Class 6th and 7th took part in the drawing competition. An awareness session was later conducted in which Social Mobilizers briefed the participants about World Wetland Day, its importance and threats toward wetlands. Participants from Education Department and VCCs also shared their views about wetland day and appreciated the efforts of the Company towards biodiversity conservation.