World Wetlands Day 2014: Wetlands and agriculture

2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming – so the Ramsar Convention chose Wetlands & Agriculture as the World Wetlands Day theme for 2014. And what a great theme for Ramsar, given that wetlands are so often intimately linked with agriculture. Our slogan? Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth, placing a focus on the need for the wetland and agricultural sectors (and the water sector too of course) to work together for the best shared outcomes.

Wetlands have often been seen as a barrier to agriculture, and they continue to be drained and reclaimed to make farming land available. But the essential role of wetlands in support of agriculture is becoming clearer and clearer, and there are successful agricultural practices which support healthy wetlands.

We hope these materials will help you to focus on wetlands and agriculture in your international, national or local situation and launch your own World Wetlands Day campaign.

This leaflet looks at different types and scales of agriculture, at the impacts of agriculture on wetlands, and at some of the successful methods used to reduce the negative impacts, sustain wetland health, and restore degraded wetlands in agricultural landscapes.