On 2 February 2023 UNU-IAS, Wetlands International Japan, and the Global Environmental Outreach Centre (GEOC) will co-organise an online symposium for World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2023. Under the theme “It’s Time for Wetland Restoration”, the event will bring together international experts and local practitioners to discuss best practices for ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, and youth engagement to accelerate actions to conserve and restore wetlands.
Celebrated every year on 2 February, WWD marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. Since 2021, WWD has been observed as a United Nations International Day.
Participation
To participate online, please register in advance. The number of participants is limited.
Please note that participants in UNU events may appear in photography, screen captures, videos, and/or audio. For further information please refer to Events.
Language
This event will be held in English and Japanese, with simultaneous interpretation provided.
Programme
18:00–18:05 World Wetlands Day Statements 2023
- Musonda Mumba (Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands)
18:05–18:10 Opening Remarks
- Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS）
18:15–18:25 Nature Restoration and Wetlands in Japan
- Keiichi Nakazawa (Ministry of the Environment of Japan)
18:25–18:40 Overview of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
- Makiko Yashiro (Programme Management Officer, UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office)
18:40–19:40 Presentations
- Masayuki Kurechi (Chair, Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection): A Case Study of Green Infrastructure in Kabukuri-numa and the Surrounding Rice Paddies
- Takuma Sato (Youth Ramsar Japan, Kumamoto University): Youth Perspectives from the Experience of Participating in Ramsar COP
- Raymond Owusu-Achiaw (Natural Resource Manager, Conservation Alliance International-Ghana): The Sustainable Management of Wetlands in Ghana: A Case Study of Communal Restoration Approach to Songor Wetland
19:40–19:55 Q&A
19:55–20:00 Closing Remarks
- Kazuaki Hoshino (President, Wetlands International Japan)
