Ramsar sites

Ramsar sites are designated under an International Convention on the conservation of wetland habitats and species. This convention the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 133 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1224 wetland sites, totaling 105.8 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance (see http://www.ramsar.org/)