2 February
World Wetlands Day
On 2 February the world looks at wetlands, which cover a small share of land but hold a large share of life.
World Wetlands Day falls on 2 February each year. It is linked to the Convention on Wetlands, a treaty that works to reverse wetland loss and damage around the world. The convention marks its 55th anniversary in 2026.
The numbers show why the day matters. According to the United Nations, wetlands cover only around 6 per cent of the Earth's land surface, yet 40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed in them. More than a billion people, about one in eight people on Earth, depend on wetlands for their livelihoods.
Wetlands are also disappearing quickly. Since 1970, 35 per cent of the world's wetlands have been lost, and they are vanishing three times faster than forests. For coastal communities this loss is close to home: wetlands help protect the 60 per cent of humanity living along coastlines from storm surges, hurricanes and tsunamis.
There is some progress to build on. More than 2,500 wetlands are now listed as being of international importance, together covering over 2.5 million square kilometres, an area larger than Mexico.
What can you do? Visit wetlands and mangroves with care and stay on marked paths. Keep litter and chemicals out of drains that lead to rivers and the sea. Support local groups that restore coastal habitats.
Wetlands turn what flows into them into new life. At AVALON Artisan Gallery we work in the same spirit, From Waste to Wonder, reclaiming some of the more than 50,000 tonnes of green mussel shells discarded in Thailand each year as MyraShell and MyraGem.
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