MANILA, Philippines?World Wetlands Day is celebrated every Feb. 2 to commemorate the signing of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971 on the shores of the Caspian Sea in Ramsar, Iran.

Wetlands are areas whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Examples of wetlands are swamps and marshes.

The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty on the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The first World Wetlands Day was celebrated in 1997. Various activities have been held to raise awareness of the value of wetlands, such as lectures and seminars, nature walks, children?s art contests and community cleanups.

The theme for this year?s celebration was ?Caring for wetlands?an answer to climate change.? Cyril L. Bonabente, Inquirer Research

Source: www.ramsar.org