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| That's how everything started | ||
| The Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, is an international treaty on conservation and wise use of wetlands through which signatory countries recognize the wetlands' ecological importance and their economic, cultural, scientific and recreational worth. |
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| Wise use is our motto | ||
| A natural stock of biological diversity, the wetlands are significant for the planet's climatic stability and are among the world's most productive areas. A lot of families survive thanks to the wise use of these areas' natural resources. And in order for these to go on existing, all we have to do is respect them. | ||
| What do we have to do with it? | ||
| Brazil, as the other Ramsar Convention signatory countries, should foster the sustainable use of the wetlands in its territory. To that end, it should not only adopt suitable policies and laws but also implement training and research meant to make people aware of how significant these areas are. | ||
| Brazil in the Ramsar List | ||
| The inclusion of Brazilian Wetlands in the Ramsar List represents new prospects of international negotiation, such as those aimed at research development, access to international funding sources and the creation of a broader intergovernmental cooperational scenario. Through the sustainable use of its natural resources, our country starts its life quality development process. | ||
| What are Wetlands, after all? | ||
| According to the Ramsar Convention, wetlands are "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salty, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters." In addition, wetlands "may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six meters at low tide lying within the wetlands." There are also human-made wetlands such as fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals. | ||
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The 4th country in the world's surface ranking according to the Ramsar List, Brazil presently has 7 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a surface area of 6,356,896 ha. |
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24/05/93; Rio
Grande do Sul; 34,000 ha. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
Site; National Park. Extensive lowland area of saltmarshes, coastal sand
dunes, lagoons, lakes and associated marshes, providing important staging
sites for numerous migrant species. 181 bird species have already been
identified in the area, 35 of which are migratory.
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24/05/93; Mato
Grosso; 135,000 ha. National Park. Part of the largest, permanent freshwater
wetland in the Western Hemisphere. It is situated in a large depression
functioning as an inland delta. The area consists of a vast region of seasonally
flooded savannas, islands of xerophytic scrub, and humid deciduous forest.
The site includes some of the largest and most spectacular concentrations
of wildlife in the Neotropics and is probably the most important wetland
in South America for waterfowl.
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| 04/10/93; Tocantins; 562,312 ha. National Park (Located inside Ilha do Bananal). Extensive floodplain system of the Araguaia River with navigable medium to high flow rivers, seasonal lagoons, marshes and numerous islands. A diverse flora and fauna representing the transition zone between humid tropical forest of the Amazon Basin and woody savannas with gallery forest are present. |
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of Environmental Protection |
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30/11/93; Maranhão;
2,680,911 ha. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site; Area of
Environmental Protection. A complex estuarine system of extensive islands,
bays, coves, and rugged coastline covered mainly by mangrove forest. The
site is of great importance for numerous species of fish, shellfish and
migratory birds. Local communities practice subsistence fishing.
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04/ 10/ 93;
Amazonas; the largest "Varzea" forest protection area in Brazil: 1,124,000
ha; Sustainable Development Reserve. "Varzea" forest with several lakes
seasonally connected by natural drainage canals. The area has a high degree
of endemism. Human activities include forestry, rotating agriculture, controlled
commercial fishing, and collection of aquarium fish. The Uacari-branco,
object of the first scientific researches in Mamirauá, is the symbol
of the reserve.
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| 29/ 02/ 00; Maranhão; 1,775,036 ha. Environmental Protection. Extensive low, seasonally flooded coastal lands characterized by fields, gallery forests, mangrove swamps, and lacustrine basins along the northeast coast of Brazil. |
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29/02/00; Maranhão;
45,237 ha. State Marine Park. Three coral banks off the northern coast
of Maranhão, at the northern distribution limit of several fish
species endemic to the Brazilian coast. The area is very important for
fishery production and of extremely high scientific value. Numerous shipwrecks
have been found in the area and
await further study. |
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Protected Areas National Program dap@mma.gov.br |