Sensitization efforts to promote wetlands restoration continue as the Department of Forestry joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Wetlands Day, this time through a Clean-up Campaign.

The annual celebration of World Wetlands Day on February 2 seeks to increase awareness of the critical importance of wetlands for both people and the environment.

A clean-up campaign was organized at the mouth of the Choc river in which the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, its sector partners as well as the surrounding private sector agencies and schools joint efforts to sensitize the public on the importance of waste management in wetlands preservation. Fisheries Biologist within the Department of Fisheries,  Yvonne Edwin, says that in order to slow down the rapid loss of wetlands and promote conservation and restoration efforts, it is essential to increase national and international awareness of the issue.

“What you’re seeing here is not from recreational activities or people coming to the beach, but what is coming down from inland. The impact is real; there are a lot of plastic bottles, and a lot of garbage that comes from inland that needs to be taken out before it gets into the ocean. So this is one small activity that could help address this issue.”

In the past 50 years, wetlands around the world have degraded by almost 35%. According to Deputy Chief Forest Officer Rebecca Rock, it is becoming crucial to act in support of wetlands preservation and restoration using financial and human resources.

“ We want people to understand that when they throw garbage into the rivers, it comes down and it accumulates into the wetlands, and because of the roots of the system, they trap the garbage in there, and that can cause a lot of flooding in the area. We know the initiative won’t solve any problems, but we want when people see this activity theywill think about changing their behaviors.

With World Wetlands Day being held under the theme “Wetlands Restoration”, Ms. Rock reiterated the importance of each person playing their part individually and collectively as we maintain our wetlands for our biodiversity, climate mitigation, and adaptation, freshwater availability, and global economies.