Half a century exactly: 50 years have passed since 2 February 1971, the day on which a Ramsar (Iranian city located near the Caspian Sea) the convention was signed which took the name of the same place and which concerns the international protection of wetlands. A year later there would be the big one United Nations Conference on the human environment of Stockholm, the first time that nations around the world came together to talk about the environment. With its decisions, guidelines and debates, the Convention was also created to respond to the need to reverse the process of transformation and destruction of wetlands as primary environments for the life of water birds, which have to travel particular migratory routes through different states and continents to reach the different nesting sites, stop and wintering.
With the passage of time, and with the increase of international treaties for the conservation of nature, the Convention has sought to broaden its objectives. on all aspects concerning the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. According to many, however, the Convention has never managed to acquire the strength and skills necessary to coordinate the extremely difficult international debate concerning some aspects of water management, for which others international movements they started.
From the latest update, on the official website, it appears that 171 countries have adhered to the Convention and that the related list includes 2.412 sites for a total area of 254.467.869 hectares. Italy is present with 56 identified sites and a total area of 73.308 hectares.