A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as "The Convention on Wetlands," an international environmental treaty signed on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. The Ramsar Convention encourages the designation of sites containing representative, rare, or unique wetlands, or wetlands that are important for conserving biological diversity. Once designated, these sites are added to the Conventions List of Wetlands of International Importance and become known as Ramsar sites. As of August 2023, there are 2,491 Ramsar sites around the world, protecting 256,786,063 hectares (634,532,180 acres), and 172 national governments are participating.
The non-profit organization Wetlands International provides access to the Ramsar database via the Ramsar Sites Information Service. A wetland can be considered internationally important if any of the following nine criteria apply:
- (1): A site containing a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural wetland type
- (2): A site of international importance for conserving biological diversity
- (3): A site of international importance for conserving threatened species
- (4): A site of international importance for conserving migratory species
- (5): A site of international importance for conserving waterfowl
- (6): Water Storage areas/Reservoirs
- (7): Excavations
- (8): Wastewater treatment areas
- (9): Canals and drainage channels or ditches
- (Zk(c)): human-made karst and other subterranean hydrological systems
There are 41 Ramsar sites across the United States totaling over 4.6 million acres. Twenty-three of these sites fall completely or partially within U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges. These sites each exhibit unique habitats, providing essential ecological functions and homes for countless species.
