World Wetlands Day 2020 – Wetlands and Biodiversity!
The 2nd of February is recognized as World Wetland Day (WWD), which marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This international day was established to raise awareness about the value of wetlands for humanity and biodiversity. Each year a theme is selected to focus attention and help raise public awareness about the value of wetlands. The theme of WWD for 2020 was “Wetlands and Biodiversity”, an opportunity to highlight the importance of wetland biodiversity conservation.
Albanian Ornithological Society (AOS), since its establishment, has contributed by campaigning for the protection of the ecological integrity of Albanian wetlands. In March 2017, there was a proposal to construct a massive tourism investment project within Divjaka-Karavasta National Park, where one of the most important wetland-complexes on the Eastern Adriatic coast is located. In response to this proposal, AOS was actively engaged in a long, exhausting and successful advocacy journey to prevent the construction of the complex within Divjaka-Karavasta National Park. (Here – you can read more about the battle against the tourism complex).
AOS became part of the international day dedicated to wetlands, World Wetland Day 2020. Under the theme “Wetlands and Biodiversity”, AOS team celebrated WWD 2020 by donating 200 pine trees to the ecosystem of Divjaka-Karavasta National Park (DKNP). The planting of the 200 pine trees was accomplished by AOS volunteers, partners and stakeholders, respectively- AOS team, representatives of RAPA Fier, Junior Rangers of DKNP, representatives of Pseda-Iliria and Res-Publica, local supporters of AOS, volunteers, environmentalists, and photographers.
Following, WWD at Divjaka-Karavasta National Park could not be complete without birding its rich avifauna. AOS ornithologists tried to appease the curiosity of participants by guiding and assisting two birdwatching sub-activities. At the first observation point, participants had the chance to observe through the lens of scopes and binoculars the flagship species of the DKNP, the Dalmatian Pelican. This first observation was just a welcome to the avifauna of DKNP though, and participants demanded birding from another point, where other rare species were observed. Although the activities of WWD were quite intensive and consecutive, participants enjoyed birding, planting pine trees and agro-tourism at Divjaka-Karavasta National Park.
The World Wetland Day 2020 in Albania supported by CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) within the framework of ‘Let’s make Divjaka Natural Again’ project in collaboration with PSEDA-Iliria and ResPublica.
