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World Wetlands Day Messages and Statements

Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands

22 January 2026

World Wetlands Day 2026 explores the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and cultural practices, traditions and knowledge systems of...

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Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN

21 January 2026

Conservation is the strongest when science and traditional knowledge work hand in hand. For centuries, Indigenous peoples and local communities...

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Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity

26 January 2026

Wetlands are some of the most ecologically rich ecosystems in the world. But they are not only hotspots of biodiversity; they are also hotspots of...

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Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility

31 January 2026

We join the Ramsar Convention and partners around the world in celebrating this year’s World Wetlands Day under the theme “Wetlands and Traditional...

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Dr Coenraad Krijger, Chief Executive Officer of Wetlands International

22 January 2026

Extraordinary, biodiverse ecosystems that support our societies and economies. Wetlands provide our communities and cities with fresh water.

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Dr Mohammed Ali Qurban, CEO of the National Center of Wildlife, Saudi Arabia

22 January 2026

Throughout history, wetlands have served as sources of water and food, spaces for cultural interaction, and a reposite to local knowledge that has...

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Fernanda Samuel, Voice for Wetlands

31 January 2026

Wetlands face challenges such as environmental degradation, pollution, overfishing, human pressure, and climate change. I believe that the...

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H.E. Shina Ansari, Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment, Iran (Islamic Republic of)

05 February 2026

Let us renew this ancient bond, a bond in which protecting wetlands means protecting life, stability and our shared heritage on this planet for a...

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H.E. U Khin Maung Yi, Union Minister for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar

31 January 2026

Life on Earth fundamentally depends on healthy and functioning wetlands.

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Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

02 February 2026

Happy World Wetlands Day. Today we are reminded that our health depends on the health of our wetlands. Wetlands are one of nature's most powerful...

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Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of CITES

22 January 2026

Wetlands are more than ecosystems; they are story keepers. They carry the traditions, practices, and wisdom of communities who have lived alongside...

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Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International

22 January 2026

Les zones humides sont plus que des écosystèmes ; elles sont les gardiennes de l'histoire. Elles perpétuent les traditions, les pratiques et la...

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Manesimana Rafanomezantsoa Michaël, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Madagascar

05 February 2026

February 2 is not just any day. It is a day that reminds us of our deep connection to nature and our collective responsibility towards it. It is...

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Mark Smith, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

22 January 2026

On World Wetlands Day 2026, we celebrate wetlands not only as ecosystems but as living landscapes which are deeply woven into our livelihoods,...

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Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International

22 January 2026

On World Wetlands Day we celebrate wetlands not just as vital ecosystems providing homes for water birds and other wildlife but as living...

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Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization

22 January 2026

World Wetlands Day – Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage

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Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive of WWT

22 January 2026

People have been living alongside wetlands for thousands of years; humanity has grown up beside lakes, rivers and shores, and have sought out the...

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Sektionschefin Monika Mörth, MAS, Leiterin der Sektion IV – Wasserwirtschaft

05 February 2026

Wetlands need our joint commitment to protect these essential habitats. They also need our attention.

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Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change

22 January 2026

Nature and climate are two sides of the same coin.

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