Fiji Celebrates World Wetlands Day at the Upper Navua Conservation Area, Fiji’s Ramsar Site.
Fiji recently celebrated World Wetlands Day (WWD) on the 8th and 9th of March 2012.
The two day event involved the launch of awareness materials promoting WWD under the local theme of ‘Wetlands our Hidden Treasure’ by the Honorable Minister of Local Government, Housing, Urban Development and Environment, Colonel Samuela Saumatua.
On the 9th of March, attendees of the WWD launch visited Fiji’s Ramsar Site – the Upper Navua Conservation Area, a 615 hectare land of forest bordering the Navua Gorge, within the Serua province.
Each year on the 2nd of February member countries to the ‘Ramsar Convention on Wetlands’ celebrate World Wetlands Day (WWD) under various themes that highlight a significant component of Wetlands.
For the year 2012, the International theme for WWD is ‘Sustainable Development of Tourism’ in recognition of Wetlands contribution to the development of countries via tourism activities.
Fiji added to this theme by promoting wetlands under the local theme of ‘Wetlands Our Hidden Treasure’.
The celebration included the participation of various government and non-government organizations that highlighted the significance of wetlands in respect to Tourism, Fiji’s economy, biological diversity, culture and more.
Fiji’s Ramsar site is managed by Rivers Fiji which provides a very good example of an ecotourism initiative which is protecting the environment and providing significant income to the landowners.
To join the Convention, member countries nominate a wetland site , as their ‘Wetland of International Importance’ or ‘Ramsar site’.
The nominated wetland is added to the total global surface area of designated Ramsar sites; as of January 2012, the total global cover of Wetlands of International importance is recorded at 190,789,320 hectare .
