English (prevailing in case of divergence), French, German, Russian and Spanish[1]
TheRamsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an internationaltreaty for the conservation and sustainable use ofRamsar sites (wetlands).[2] It is also known as theConvention on Wetlands. It is named after the city ofRamsar, a city in theMazandaran province ofIran, where the convention was signed in 1971.
Every three years, representatives of the contracting parties meet as theConference of the Contracting Parties (COP), the policy-making organ of theconvention which adopts decisions (site designations, resolutions and recommendations) to administer the work of the convention and improve the way in which the parties are able to implement its objectives.[3] In 2022, COP15 was held in Montreal, Canada.
The list of wetlands of international importance included 2,531Ramsar sites in February 2025 covering over 2.6 million square kilometres (1,000,000 sq mi). The countries with most sites are the United Kingdom with 175 and Mexico with 142. The country with the largest surface area of listed wetland is Brazil, with around 267,000 square kilometres (103,000 sq mi).[4]
The Ramsar Sites Information Service (RSIS) is a searchable database which provides information on each Ramsar site.[5]
TheWadden Sea is a transboundary Ramsar site in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
As of 2016 there are 18 transboundary Ramsar sites, and 15 Ramsar regional initiatives covering regions of the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, and South America.
These organizations support the work of the convention by providing expert technical advice, helping implement field studies, and providing financial support. The IOPs also participate regularly as observers in all meetings of the conference of the parties and as full members of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel.
Since 1998 the convention has also benefited from a strong partnership withDanone including theÉvian brand, and since 2007 from the Biosphere Connections partnership with theStar Alliance airline network.
This is the convention's governing body consisting of all governments that have ratified the treaty. This ultimate authority reviews progress under the convention, identifies new priorities, and sets work plans for members. The COP can also make amendments to the convention, create expert advisory bodies, review progress reports by member nations, and collaborate with other international organizations and agreements.
The Standing Committee is the intersessional executive body which represents the COP between its triennial meetings, within the framework of the decisions made by the COP. The contracting parties that are members of the Standing Committee are elected by each meeting of the COP to serve for the three years.
The Ramsar Secretariat offices in Gland, Switzerland
The Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) provides scientific and technical guidance to the Conference of Contracting Parties, the Standing Committee, and the Ramsar Secretariat. In 2025 the chair of the STRP presented the panels' report,Global Wetland Outlook 2025, to the UN.[6]
The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day coordination of the convention's activities. It is based at the headquarters of theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland.
The implementation of the Ramsar Convention is a continuing partnership between the Conference of Contracting Parties, the Standing Committee, and the Secretariat, with the advice of the subsidiary expert body, the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP), and the support of the international organization partners (IOPs).
Musonda Mumba is the seventh secretary general of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
2 February is World Wetlands Day, marking the convention's adoption on 2 February 1971. Established to raise awareness about the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet, WWD was celebrated for the first time in 1997, and has grown since then. In 2015 World Wetlands Day was celebrated in 59 countries.
Despite its quasi-universal application, the domestic response to this treaty is often half-hearted and inadequate. By way of example, Germany joined the Convention in 1976 and has, "[as of 2022], failed to give effect to the Ramsar Convention in the manner set out by the constitution of Germany."[9] As of 2025Turkey does not always publish its wetland management plans, for example theKızılırmak Delta has a plan but it is not published.[10][11][a]
^Bury, Zur Verknüpfung überkommener Vorstellungen völkerrechtlicher Normativität mit der unterlassenen Übernahme der Ramsar-Konvention von 1971 in den deutschen Rechtsraum (2022) 60(1) Archiv des Völkerrechts.DOI: 10.1628/avr-2022-0005
^Kızılırmak Deltası Revize Sulak Alan Yönetim Planı (2025-2034) [Kızılırmak Delta Revised Wetland Management Plan (2025-2034)] (Report) (in Turkish).Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Turkey), 11th Region, 19 Mayıs Mah. Ağabali Cad. No: 13/A İlkadım/SAMSUN.
^"Ulusal Sulak Alan Komi̇syonu 2024 yili Olağan Toplantisi yapildi" [The 2024 regular meeting of the National Wetland Commission was held].tarimorman.gov.tr.Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved12 March 2025.USAK'ın …. 2024 yılı Olağan Toplantısı'nda …. Kızılırmak Deltası Revize Sulak Alan Yönetim Planı (2025-2034) …. onaylanarak yürürlüğe girdi. [At the 2024 ordinary meeting …. of the national wetland commission …. the Kızılırmak Delta Revised Wetland Management Plan (2025-2034) …. was approved and entered into force.]
