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Hong Kong Wetland Park held a ceremony today (January 28) to celebrate World Wetlands Day 2012. World Wetlands Day commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971 - an international effort for conservation and wise use of wetlands around the world. On this day every year, activities are organised worldwide to raise public awareness of wetlands' value and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
The theme for this year is "Wetlands and Tourism" and is linked to the theme for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, CoP 11, entitled "Wetlands, Tourism and Recreation", which will take place in July 2012 in Bucharest, Romania.
Wetland tourism has benefits for both people and wildlife - benefits such as stronger economies, sustainable livelihoods, healthy people and thriving ecosystems. It is worth noting that tourism is one of the many services that wetlands deliver. Ensuring well-managed tourism practices in and around wetlands and educating tourists on the value of wetlands contributes to their health and the long-term benefits that wetlands provide to people, wildlife, economics and biodiversity.
Located next to the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, the Hong Kong Wetland Park is an ideal destination for local and overseas visitors for all seasons.
Officiating at the celebration ceremony today, the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Alan Wong, said, "The Park has so much to offer. When migratory birds arrive in the Park every winter, it is the best time for bird watching. During spring and summer, the Park is verdant and is dotted with blooming flowers and beautiful butterflies, while in the autumn, it is decorated with red leaves."
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Country and Marine Parks Board, Professor Nora Tam, reminded visitors of the importance of sustainable tourism. She said, "Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the local biodiversity and cultural heritage, while helping to generate stable employment for local people. The aim is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for both local people and tourists and maintains the beauty of wetlands for our next generations."
From November 2011 until March 2012, the Park is holding the Bird Watching Festival 2011/12, during which visitors can learn about the behaviour of wild ducks through a range of activities including guided tours, a thematic exhibition and workshops.
A brand new attraction, Wetland Cinema, is now open. Wetlands are cradles to a number of great ancient civilisations. The 3D film show "Wetland Time Travellers" takes visitors on a journey to explore the four major ancient civilisations including the Egyptian civilisation along the River Nile, the Harappan civilisation at the Indus Valley, the Sumerian civilisation between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the Chinese civilisation along the Yellow River.
For details of World Wetlands Day 2012 and other activities, please visit www.wetlandpark.com.
Ends/Saturday, January 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:31
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