Wetlands in the world

Wetlands are those natural or artificial areas with presence of water, whether permanent or not, whether still or running, whether fresh or brackish or salt, including sea-areas whose depth is not more than six metres at low tide.

"Where water meets earth and air, there originate the ideal environmental conditions for the proliferation of animal and vegetable life. In such an environment, natural selection has given birth to a variety of forms, which are unlikely to be found in other ecosystems.

More than a half of the endangered aquatic animals in Europe live in wetlands and the preservation of these areas is necessary to ensure their survival.

The importance of wetlands is as well due to the colonies of migratory birds, which yearly winter here.

Some wetlands, among which the salt-pans of Margherita di Savoia, have been stated Nature Reserves of international importance, according to the Ramsar Convention (Iran,1971).