World Wetlands Day
To mark World Wetlands Day this year, volunteers from “YDCMA” and “United Avangard Artist”, as part of the “Art Mission” and “Eco Future+” projects under the “European Solidarity Corps” program, prepared and delivered a presentation to raise awareness of the day’s significance. The event took place at “Nikola Yonkoff Vaptsarov” Primary School in the 2nd grade B class, with teachers Ms. Lilia Racheva and Ms. Maria Koleva.
During the event, which took place today, international volunteers from Italy, Serbia, and Georgia, along with their Bulgarian counterparts, presented information about World Wetlands Day—February 2nd, as part of the ecological calendar of the “Eco Academy 2024-2025” project under the Erasmus+ program of the “Youth Development Center -Mutual Aid” association. This also marked the first initiative of Kaya, a new volunteer from Serbia, who arrived last week under the Mutual Aid project.
The activities, designed specifically for the occasion, introduced children to wetlands and the plant and animal species that inhabit them. After the presentation, students engaged in interactive games that helped them learn more about the topic through non-formal education methods.
Wetlands cover a relatively small area of the Earth’s surface compared to other ecosystems. However, they are incredibly rich in biodiversity, as many plant and animal species depend entirely on wetlands and cannot survive without them. In fact, coastal wetlands—such as estuaries, salt marshes, lakes, mangrove forests, and coral reefs—are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the world.
Recent global studies show that wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, with 35% lost since the 1970s and 87% lost since the 1700s.
Main Causes of Wetland Loss:
- Drainage and drying for agriculture or construction
- Pollution
- Overexploitation of resources (e.g., overfishing)
- Invasive species
- Climate change
The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement signed on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. The full title of the agreement is the “Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat.” Initially focused on wetland conservation for waterfowl habitats, the convention later expanded its scope to encompass all aspects of wetland conservation and sustainable use.
For the two organizations from Kazanlak, promoting important ecological dates to the community is of utmost importance. Raising awareness encourages more people to learn about environmental protection and take action today.
During the visit, the Eco Academy was also introduced. It will take place from March 31st to April 4th, 2025, for children in grades 1 to 4. More information and registration details can be found at the following link:
