It is celebrated every year on February 2 to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands for biodiversity. We invite you to learn more about them at Parque Bahía Esperanza.

Wetlands are aquatic ecosystems that include marshes, swamps, bogs, and peatlands, among others. They are fundamental for the life of many species, both animal and plant and also provide valuable ecosystem services for people, such as, for example:

• Water purification: wetlands act as natural filters that remove pollutants from water.
• Flood protection: wetlands absorb and retain rainwater, which helps reduce flooding in nearby areas.
• Climate regulation: wetlands contribute to local and global climate regulation by emitting and storing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

International Wetlands Day has been celebrated since 1971, when the Convention on Wetlands was adopted as an international treaty.

The theme for this 2023 is “Wetland Restoration”, where the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration is emphasized.

Despite their importance, wetlands are being degraded and destroyed throughout the world. That is why International Wetlands Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of these ecosystems and to promote their conservation and restoration. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which is the organization in charge of coordinating this celebration, works to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands worldwide.

Wetlands in Chile

According to information from the Ministry of the Environment, Chile has 18,000 wetlands. An area of 1,460,400 hectares, equivalent to 20 times Santiago, makes up the country’s wetlands.

We can find wetlands all along the coast, such as estuaries, coastal lagoons, or marshes; along the Andes Mountains, such as salt flats, brackish lagoons, wetlands, meadows, rivers, lakes, and lagoons.

In the south of Chile, it is possible to find peat bogs, as is the case of Parque Bahía Esperanza, where there are also lagoons and marshes.