World Wetlands Day

February 2 marks World Wetlands Day. On this date in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed in Ramsar (Iran).

The theme for 2026 is "Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Honoring Cultural Heritage." This motto emphasizes how nature and culture are intertwined. For millennia, wetlands have been not only sources of food and water but also sources of inspiration, the basis of mythology, rituals, and traditional ways of life.

Belarus pays great attention to the conservation of wetlands. They occupy a significant part of the country's territory and are an important element of its natural heritage. To preserve wetlands in Belarus, special protected areas have been created — national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries. 16 of them are included by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention in the World List of Wetlands of International Importance, including four located in the Vitebsk region — "Yelnya," "Osveya," "Kozyansky," and Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve.

In the Beshenkovichi district, two raised bogs with a total area of 514.8 hectares, as well as local hydrological reserves "Sorzhitsky Mokh," "Lappy," and "Koranevsky" with a total area of 1674.2 hectares, are under special protection.