The signature of 1971
La World Wetlands Day (World Wetlands Day), on February 2, celebrates the signing in 1971 of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and aims to raise awareness around the world about the great importance of wetlands for people and our planet. The Ramsar Convention defines wetlands as “marshes, fens, peatland or bodies of water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”. The Convention is the only international environmental treaty that deals with these particular ecosystems which, in addition to hosting and conserving a rich biological diversity of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, guarantee significant resources of water and food and play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change. The integrity of these environments is threatened by human activities.
Sustainable future
“Protecting wetlands for our common future”, the theme of World Wetlands Day 2025, highlights the link between the conservation of wetlands and a sustainable future, highlighting the importance of these threatened ecosystems in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity. The wetlands of international importance currently included in the official list of Ramsar Convention sites for Italy are 57, distributed in 15 regions, for a total of 72.288 hectares. The Table shows the complete list of sites, in chronological order of designation from 1976 to 2021, including also 9 additional sites identified by Ministerial Decree in 2011, 2013 and 2016 (in Sicily, Tuscany and Friuli-Venezia Giulia), currently awaiting official designation by the Secretariat of the Convention.
Italian Ramsar Sites
The 66 Italian Ramsar sites established and in the process of being established cover 79.826 hectares; the regions in which the Ramsar areas are largest and most numerous are Emilia-Romagna, with 10 areas (23.112 ha), Tuscany with 11 areas (19.306 ha) and Sardinia with 9 areas (13.308 ha), while there are no sites in 5 regions. The distribution of the areas on the Italian territory shows the territories most affected by the presence of these wetlands to be protected (source: ISPRA).
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