Posted on February, 02 2017

2nd February of each year is “World Wetlands Day” and the 2017 theme is "Wetlands help us to better cope with extreme weather events". Over the past 35 years, the frequency of global disasters has more than doubled, under the influence of climate-related and meteorological risks such as floods, tropical cyclones and droughts. The United Nations estimate that 90% of all natural hazards are related to water. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that extreme weather events will become more and more frequent. Wetlands creation and maintenance help in flooding control, protection against coastal erosion, freshwater supply and in case of disaster wetlands absorb some of the most powerful shocks. Furthermore, Wetlands contain a tremendous biodiversity. Five types of wetlands help us withstand extreme weather events unfolding. They are mangroves, coral reefs, water streams and flooding plains, inland deltas, and peatlands. Mr. Bruno Perodeau, Conservation Director with WWF DRC said: "The Democratic Republic of Congo, which joined the Convention in 1996, currently has three Wetlands of international importance covering 7 435,624 hectares, including the largest Ramsar site in the world, the "Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe" wetland with 6,569,624 hectares, a vast rainforest area, watercourses and lakes on the eastern slope of the Congo River. The preparatory work for this inscription has benefited in large part from the WWF Freshwater Program.” WWF supports the DRC Government in the conservation and sustainable management of its wetlands, enabling the continuity and acceleration of the Ramsar Convention objectives implementation in the country - including the designation of international importance wetlands such as: Upemba-Kundelungu-Lufira sector, Mukamba Lake region, - the Congo River between Matadi and its estuary, Lake Tanganyika etc. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty adopted on 2nd February 1971 for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, to halt their degradation or disappearance today and tomorrow by recognizing their ecological importance and their economic, cultural, scientific and recreational values.