Today we mark World Wetlands Day — do you know how many wetlands there are in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
World Wetlands Day warns of the loss of more than 60 percent of wetlands and the need for stronger protection of these vital ecosystems in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
World Wetlands Day is observed every year on 2 February to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar Convention, which was adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This day has been marked since 1997 in response to the alarming global loss of wetlands, more than 60 percent of which have disappeared since the beginning of the 20th century.
Wetlands play a crucial role in regulating water regimes and preserving biodiversity, and they are habitats for exceptionally rich flora and fauna. In addition to their ecological importance, they also have significant economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value.
The main causes of wetland loss and degradation are human activities, including drainage and land reclamation for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and resource overexploitation, the introduction of invasive species, and the impacts of climate change.
Bosnia and Herzegovina lies along the Adriatic migratory flyway, used by around five billion birds during spring and autumn migrations between Europe and Africa. Wetlands in Bosnia and Herzegovina are key sites for their resting, feeding and wintering. Three areas in the country have been designated as wetlands of international importance: Hutovo Blato, Bardača and Livanjsko Polje, all of which also have the status of Important Bird Areas due to the large number of species that breed there or stop over during migration.
Apart from Hutovo Blato Nature Park, the other internationally important wetland areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina lack adequate protection status and management plans, allowing activities that lead to habitat degradation, such as peat extraction, destruction of aquatic vegetation, the establishment of monocultures, fires and poaching.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only former Yugoslav country that has not yet signed the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds, which further complicates the systematic protection of these species and their habitats.
This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage”, highlighting the connection between wetlands and the lifestyles, culture and traditions of local communities. In this context, the Ornithological Society “Naše ptice” has announced that it will submit an initiative to the relevant institutions to sign the agreement, with the aim of strengthening the protection of wetlands and waterbirds as a shared natural heritage.
Source: Bljesak.info
