FORUM: "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage." World Wetlands Day 2026. The theme explores the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and cultural practices, traditions and knowledge systems of communities across the world. Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, and more than 35% of wetlands have been degraded or lost since 1970. This year’s theme highlights the deep connections between wetlands and people, calling for urgent action to safeguard these ecosystems as vital ecological and cultural assets for current and future generations. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world. It runs from 2021 to 2030. By conserving the world’s wetlands, we safeguard biodiversity, enhance climate resilience and secure critical ecosystem services that support human health, economic wellbeing and cultural heritage. Follow the conversations with the hashtags #WorldWetlandsDay, #wetlandrestoration, #2February ,#ReviveAndRestore, #wetlands.
EVENTS: On February 2nd, 2026 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, and online, the Celebration of World Wetlands Day 2026 will coincide with the 50th Anniversary of Italy’s ratification of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, adopted in 1971. The event will be co-organized by the Italian Permanent Representation of Italy to the United Nations, the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), the Lazio Region, the Nazzano Tevere–Farfa Regional Nature Reserve, and the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, with the technical support of FAO. This session will be followed by afternoon events at the Nazzano Tevere–Farfa Regional Nature Reserve – Italy’s first Ramsar site. This year’s theme resonates strongly with FAO’s mandate to transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Moreover, it underscores the urgent need to protect, restore, and sustainably use wetlands by valuing traditional knowledge as a cornerstone for ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable agrifood systems, in line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND THE EVENT ONSITE or REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND THE EVENT ONLINE.
AGENDA, 2 February 2026, 09:00-11:00 (UTC+1)
08:30 – Opening of the Room
Welcome coffee
09:00 – Opening Remarks
Claudio Barbaro, Undersecretary of State for the Environment and Energy Security, Italy
Zhimin WU, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Forestry Division, FAO
Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands
09:40 – Session 1: The Universal Value of Wetlands
Valuing, conserving, restoring and financing wetlands – Hugh Robertson, Chair of STRP, Convention on Wetlands, New Zealand
Earth observation for the wetland inventories of the future: preview of the first national wetland inventory based on satellite data – Christian Tøttrup, Senior Advisor and EO4WI Project Manager, DHI, Denmark
Mediterranean wetlands: responses to ongoing crises – Anis Guelmami, Coordinator of the Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory, Tour du Valat, France
10:10 – Session 2: Celebrating Natural and Cultural Heritage
Wetlands: a celebration of nature’s wonder – FAO
Ramsar wetlands in Italy - ISPRA
10:20 – Session 3: 50 Years of the Convention in Italy
Thirty years of evolution of the Ramsar Site “Marano Lagunare: Mouth of the Stella River” – Pierpaolo Zanchetta, Biodiversity Service, Directorate for Agrifood, Forestry and Agriculture, Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The role of the Ramsar Site “Laghi di Preola e Gorghi Tondi” for the restoration of the dried-up ponds and the endemic water turtle population – Stefania D’Angelo, Director of the Laghi di Preola e Gorghi Tondi Oasis, WWF; Susanna D’Antoni, STRP Focal Point for the Convention on Wetlands, ISPRA
Innovative financial instruments for the protection and restoration of peatlands and other wetlands – Alessandro Leonardi, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Etifor | Valuing Nature
10:50 – Closing Remarks
Francesco Tomas, Director General for the Protection of Biodiversity and the Sea, Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, Italy (tbc)
Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division, FAO
An afternoon session will be held from 13:00 to 17:30 at the Nazzano Tevere–Farfa Regional Nature Reserve, including a guided visit to Lake Nazzano, one of the first Ramsar Sites established in Italy. View the programme here >>>; Further details on World Wetlands Day are available on the official website here.
On Feburary 2nd;The observance of World Wetlands Day 2026 hosted by the FAO, in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat is open to everyone — from international organizations, governments, wetland practitioners, to children, youth, media, community groups, decision-makers, to all individuals, the celebrations will remind us how these ecosystems are important for us all. Get the list of upcoming events and Register to participate!
Every 2 February, the World Wetlands Day campaign joins people everywhere in recognising the
critical importance of our planet’s wetlands. These life-sustaining ecosystems bridge past and future
and are essential to the continuity of life on Earth.
World Wetlands Day 2026 explores the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and cultural
practices, traditions and knowledge systems of communities across the world.
This year’s theme is "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage." The global
campaign spotlights the timeless role of traditional knowledge in sustaining wetland ecosystems and
preserving cultural identity.
People have coexisted with wetlands since prehistory, making use of their beneficial services while
averting unintended consequences. Over time, a valuable depth of traditional knowledge has been
deduced, shared and has subsequently evolved.
Three fundamental messages guide this year’s campaign communications. We invite you to adapt
them for your particular area and to share them widely to encourage participation in World Wetlands
Day 2026.
1. Wetlands are essential ecosystems that sustain rich biodiversity and also serve as cradles of
cultural heritage and living traditions, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and local
communities.
2. Integrating traditional knowledge into conservation strategies enhances wetland protection
and fosters inclusive, community-based approaches that recognise and respect longstanding
ecological wisdom.
3. The degradation of wetlands undermines human wellbeing, impacts human rights, and
erodes traditional knowledge systems. Immediate and scaled-up action is critical to
safeguard cultural heritage and to sustain the traditional knowledge systems that have long
protected these highly productive ecosystems.
Be a part of the solution by influencing change and sharing your stories of conservation and
restoration efforts with us from your countries and communities.
Engage with us this World Wetlands Day and follow the celebrations across our social media
platform.
Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands.
OTHER STATEMENTS:
- Statement from Dr QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO.
- Statement from Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands.
- Statement from Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Statement from Dr. Coenraad Krijger, Chief Executive Officer of Wetlands International
- Statement from Mr. Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility
- Statement from Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban, CEO of the National Center of Wildlife, Saudi Arabia
- Statement from H.E. U Khin Maung Yi, Union Minister for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar
- Statement of Fernanda Samuel, Voice for Wetlands
- Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International
- Statement from Mr. Mark Smith, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
- Statement by Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN.
- Statement of Mr. Martin Harper, CEO of BirdLife International.
- Statement from Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive of WWT
- Statement from Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization
- Statement from Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change
- Statement of Mr. Sergey Dereliev, Executive Secretary Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
- Statement from Mr. Yvonne Higuero, Secretary General of CITES.
COMMUNICATION MATERIALS
Download.
