Wetlands of cambodia

Wetlands are areas of water, marsh, fen or peatland with static or flowing brackish or salt water. Wetlandsmay be natural or artificial, permanent or temporary and include areas of marine water which are below six meters at low tide.

World Wetlands Day is organized annually to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

Every year, environmentalists across the globe celebrate the significance of wetlands and remind people on the need to conserve them. Only a small fraction of the population, however, understands what wetlands are.

To raise awareness on wetlands, Cambodia’s Department of Wetlands and Coastal Zones, in cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), hosted a lecture dubbed “UPSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM” on 7 February 2009 at the Stung Treng Ramsar Site. Hundreds of primary school students from the Osvay Primary School, university students, and officers from Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment and other government institutions attended the lecture.

“The event was organized to educate students, communities, government agencies, civil societies and other institutions on the significance of wetlands and biodiversity conservation to the sustainable development of Cambodia’s natural resources,” said Dr. SREY Sunleang, Deputy Director of Department of Wetlands and Coastal Zones of General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection of Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment.