World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2 February. The commemoration raises awareness and increases people’s understanding of the critical importance of wetlands. Wetlands support critical ecosystems and biodiversity. 40 percent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.

Wetlands are rich in nature and vital to human life. They are crucial to agriculture and fisheries. They act as water sources, purifiers and protect our shores. Wetlands are the planet’s greatest natural carbon stores.

To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost. We are losing wetlands three times faster than forests. There is an urgency to raise global awareness on wetlands to arrest and reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to restore and conserve these vital ecosystems.

The theme for the day is ‘It’s ‘Time for Wetland Restoration’. With only seven years left until 2030 for us to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, time is of the essence for sure. A call to take action for wetlands is the focus of this years’ campaign. It's an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded.

Ecohydraulics: taking action for wetlands at IAHR

Ecohydraulics, at the intersection of two historically different disciplines, ecology and hydraulics, is well positioned to contribute with Nature-Based Solutions to the protection of wetlands while ensuring more sustainable and resilient societies.

We at IAHR are working and taking action for wetlands through different means, including a technical committee on Ecohydraulics. Formed by experts, scientists and professionally active members in this area, the IAHR Technical Committee on Ecohydraulics contributes to the advancement of the discipline while providing a forum for the exchange of information among and between researchers and practitioners.

We also inform the research and engineering community through the Journal of Ecohydraulics, which embodies the varied research undertaken in ecohydraulics, covering water resources and aquatic life, ecology, biology, hydraulics, engineering, geoscience, environmental science, climate change, and other wetlands related fields, with an emphasis on the integration of these disciplines.

Take action! Join us!