Posted on October, 30 2014

One of the world’s most important wetlands, in the famous Orinoco River basin in eastern Colombia, has gained recognition as a globally significant freshwater area. Designation  under the Ramsar Convention, an international conservation agreement protecting key freshwater sites  will help prevent extractive industries moving in to mine for gold and cobalt reserves. WWF Colombia Director Mary-Lou Higgins said this is a significant achievement for Colombia which supports conservation as an option to support economic development. Important for fisheries, the Inirida Fluvial Star covers over 250,000 hectares and is also home to more than 900 plant species, 400 birds, 470 fish, 200 mammals, and 40 amphibians including threatened river dolphins, jaguars and tapirs.

Original article dated: 04.08.2014