EEVERY year, Feb 2 is marked as World Wetlands Day. It should be noted that wetlands play a crucial role in global warming, rich in biodiversity and wetland habitats particularly in providing suitable habitats for migratory birds. This year’s commemoration of World Wetlands Day 2016 was held for the first time at the first Ramsar site in Myanmar, the Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary. It was officiated by Win Tun, the environmental conservation and forestry minister.
Indawgyi Lake in Myanmar was officially announced as the second Ramsar site in the country.
I was invited by the Myanmar Environmental Conservation Ministry and Ramsar Japan as a resource person. They are aware that Malaysia has played a major role in Ramsar convention, particularly in Asean. That the Penang statement was translated into more than 20 languages on wise use of wetlands is forgotten and unknown by most Malaysians.
The wise use of wetlands is of global importance and needs to be highlighted in conservation agenda, which was occasionally marginalised by most state governments.
Malaysia has six Ramsar sites. Sabah and Sarawak each has one site. Tasik Bera in Pahang is the oldest Ramsar site in Malaysia. Johor, with three sites, can be considered one of the most active in safeguarding their natural resources. It is rather unfortunate that other states do not even allocate one site.
MASHHOR MANSOR,
President, Malaysian Primatological Society