According to Oxford English Dictionary, a wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, and so unique in nature, that displays the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants.

In modern times, wetlands have been a victim of large draining efforts of real estate development or flooding for use as recreational lakes. Some of the world’s most important agricultural areas are wetlands that have been converted to farmland. Since the 1970s, more focus has been put on preserving wetlands for their natural functions. For this purposes, an international treaty called the Ramsar Convention was signed for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971.

One of the limitations for the Convention related to Wetlands is that not many people are aware about it. Thus, in an effort to raise awareness about the value of wetlands for humanity, World Wetlands Day is celebrated on the 2nd of February each year. It was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and since then it has grown massively in terms of popularity. Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general.

What!! A youth photo contest?

Beginning in 2015, a monthlong Wetlands Youth Photo Contest is organized by Star Alliance, the world’s largest global airline alliance. It was introduced as a part of a new approach to target young people and get them involved in the World Wetland Day. The prize awarded to the winner of the photo contest is a chance to visit a wetland of their choice anywhere in the world. Further details about the competition can be found over here.