List of parties to the Ramsar Convention

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ramsar logo

This is a list of parties contracting to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, also known as the Convention on Wetlands. The convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world". It calls upon contracting parties to recognize the interdependence of humans and the environment as well as the ecological functions of wetlands, such as wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, and flood control.

The Ramsar Convention is the oldest multilateral international conservation convention and the only one to deal with one habitat or ecosystem type, wetlands. The convention's headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland, and it works closely with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1][2][3]

The convention was held in the city of Ramsar, Iran, in February 1971 and was originally contracted by seven countries when it came into force on 21 December 1975. As of March 2022, there are 172 contracting parties and 2,437 designated sites covering 254,691,993 hectares (629,357,620 acres). 170 of the contracting parties have designated at least one Ramsar site, and 31 of the contracting countries have only one site. The country with the most sites is the United Kingdom with 175. To become a Ramsar site, a site must be nominated by a contracting country, meet at least one of nine criteria, and undergo scientific review.

The table lists the countries contracting to the convention, the entry date of each country to the convention, the number of Ramsar sites in each country, and the total area of all Ramsar sites in each country.

Ramsar Convention contracting parties[4]
Country Entry date[5] Ramsar sites Area
hectares acres
Albania 29 February 1996 4 98,181 242,610
Algeria 4 March 1984 50 3,032,813 7,494,240
Andorra 23 November 2012 3 6,870 17,000
Angola 10 October 2021 0 0 0
Antigua and Barbuda 2 October 2005 1 3,600 8,900
Argentina 4 September 1992 23 5,714,016 14,119,640
Armenia 6 November 1993 3 493,511 1,219,490
Australia 21 December 1975 66 8,307,694 20,528,760
Austria 16 April 1983 23 124,968 308,800
Azerbaijan 21 September 2001 2 99,560 246,000
Bahamas 7 June 1997 1 32,600 81,000
Bahrain 27 February 1998 2 6,810 16,800
Bangladesh 21 September 1992 2 611,200 1,510,000
Barbados 12 April 2006 1 33 82
Belarus 25 August 1991 26 777,895 1,922,220
Belgium 4 July 1986 9 46,944 116,000
Belize 22 August 1998 2 23,592 58,300
Benin 24 May 2000 4 2,587,342 6,393,460
Bhutan 7 September 2012 3 1,225 3,030
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 27 October 1990 11 14,842,405 36,676,380
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 March 1992 3 57,192 141,320
Botswana 9 April 1997 1 5,537,400 13,683,000
Brazil 24 September 1993 27 26,794,455 66,210,540
Bulgaria 24 January 1976 11 49,397 122,060
Burkina Faso 27 October 1990 25 1,940,481 4,795,030
Burundi 5 October 2002 4 78,515 194,010
Cambodia 23 October 1999 5 85,235 210,620
Cameroon 20 July 2006 7 827,060 2,043,700
Canada 15 May 1981 37 13,086,767 32,338,110
Cape Verde 18 November 2005 4 2,300 5,700
Central African Republic 5 April 2006 2 376,300 930,000
Chad 13 October 1990 6 12,405,068 30,653,590
Chile 27 November 1981 16 363,927 899,280
China 31 July 1992 64 73,269,526 181,052,940
Colombia 18 October 1998 9 760,340 1,878,800
Comoros 9 June 1995 3 16,030 39,600
Congo 18 October 1998 14 13,813,865 34,134,800
Costa Rica 27 April 1992 12 569,742 1,407,860
Côte d'Ivoire 27 June 1996 6 127,344 314,670
Croatia 25 June 1991 5 93,590 231,300
Cuba 12 August 2001 6 1,188,411 2,936,630
Cyprus 11 November 2001 1 1,107 2,740
Czech Republic 1 January 1993 14 60,207 148,770
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 16 January 2018 2 7,241 17,890
Democratic Republic of the Congo 18 May 1996 4 11,906,617 29,421,890
Denmark 2 January 1978 43 2,335,939 5,772,230
Djibouti 22 March 2003 1 3,000 7,400
Dominican Republic 15 September 2002 4 135,097 333,830
Ecuador 7 January 1991 19 1,064,483 2,630,390
Egypt 9 September 1988 4 415,532 1,026,800
El Salvador 22 May 1999 8 228,719 565,180
Equatorial Guinea 2 October 2003 3 136,000 340,000
Estonia 29 July 1994 17 306,481 757,330
Eswatini 15 June 2013 3 1,183 2,920
Fiji 11 August 2006 2 135,515 334,860
Finland 21 December 1975 49 799,518 1,975,650
France 1 December 1986 52 3,751,519 9,270,210
Gabon 30 April 1987 9 3,001,769 7,417,530
The Gambia 16 January 1997 3 31,244 77,210
Georgia 7 June 1997 4 36,010 89,000
Germany 26 June 1976 35 869,265 2,148,000
Ghana 22 June 1988 6 176,134 435,240
Greece 21 December 1975 10 163,501 404,020
Grenada 22 September 2012 1 518 1,280
Guatemala 26 October 1990 7 628,592 1,553,280
Guinea 18 March 1993 16 9,065,446 22,401,200
Guinea-Bissau 14 May 1990 4 1,189,633 2,939,650
Honduras 23 October 1993 12 298,761 738,250
Hungary 11 August 1979 29 260,668 644,120
Iceland 2 April 1978 6 128,666 317,940
India 1 February 1982 49 1,093,636 2,702,430
Indonesia 8 August 1992 7 1,372,976 3,392,700
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 21 December 1975 25 1,488,624 3,678,470
Iraq 17 February 2008 4 537,900 1,329,000
Ireland 15 March 1985 45 66,994 165,550
Israel 12 March 1997 2 366 900
Italy 14 April 1977 57 73,982 182,810
Jamaica 7 February 1998 4 37,847 93,520
Japan 17 October 1980 53 155,174 383,440
Jordan 10 May 1977 2 13,472 33,290
Kazakhstan 2 May 2007 10 3,188,557 7,879,100
Kenya 5 October 1990 6 265,449 655,940
Kiribati 3 August 2013 1 1,033 2,550
Kuwait 5 September 2015 1 50,948 125,900
Kyrgyzstan 12 March 2003 3 679,408 1,678,850
Lao People's Democratic Republic 28 October 2010 2 14,760 36,500
Latvia 25 November 1995 6 150,318 371,440
Lebanon 16 August 1999 4 1,075 2,660
Lesotho 1 November 2004 1 434 1,070
Liberia 2 November 2003 5 95,879 236,920
Libya 5 August 2000 2 83 210
Liechtenstein 6 December 1991 1 101 250
Lithuania 20 December 1993 7 65,581 162,050
Luxembourg 15 August 1998 2 17,213 42,530
Madagascar 25 January 1999 21 2,147,911 5,307,600
Malawi 14 March 1997 1 286,356 707,600
Malaysia 10 March 1995 7 134,182 331,570
Mali 25 September 1987 4 4,204,640 10,389,900
Malta 30 January 1989 2 117 290
Marshall Islands 13 November 2004 2 70,119 173,270
Mauritania 22 February 1983 4 1,240,600 3,066,000
Mauritius 30 September 2001 3 401 990
Mexico 4 November 1986 142 8,657,057 21,392,050
Monaco 20 December 1997 1 23 57
Mongolia 8 April 1998 11 1,439,530 3,557,200
Montenegro 3 June 1996 3 21,627 53,440
Morocco 20 October 1980 38 316,086 781,070
Mozambique 3 December 2004 2 4,534,872 11,205,910
Myanmar 17 March 2005 6 278,679 688,630
Namibia 23 December 1995 5 676,564 1,671,830
Nepal 17 April 1988 10 60,561 149,650
Netherlands 23 September 1980 54 914,219 2,259,080
New Zealand 13 December 1976 7 67,186 166,020
Nicaragua 30 November 1997 9 406,852 1,005,350
Niger 30 August 1987 14 7,534,289 18,617,630
Nigeria 2 February 2001 11 1,076,728 2,660,650
North Macedonia 8 September 1991 3 46,821 115,700
Norway 21 December 1975 63 909,134 2,246,520
Oman 19 August 2013 2 161 400
Pakistan 23 November 1976 19 1,343,627 3,320,170
Palau 18 February 2003 1 500 1,200
Panama 26 November 1990 5 220,737 545,450
Papua New Guinea 16 July 1993 2 594,924 1,470,090
Paraguay 7 October 1995 6 785,970 1,942,200
Peru 30 March 1992 14 6,789,685 16,777,680
Philippines 8 November 1994 8 247,684 612,040
Poland 22 March 1978 19 152,964 377,980
Portugal 24 March 1981 31 132,487 327,380
Republic of Korea 28 July 1997 24 20,214 49,950
Republic of Moldova 20 October 2000 3 94,705 234,020
Romania 21 September 1991 20 1,177,748 2,910,280
Russian Federation 11 February 1977
(ratified as Soviet Union)
 35 10,323,767 25,510,580
Rwanda 1 April 2006 1 6,736 16,650
Saint Lucia 19 June 2002 2 85 210
Samoa 6 February 2005 2 5,489 13,560
Sao Tome and Principe 21 December 2006 1 23 57
Senegal 11 November 1977 9 159,137 393,240
Serbia 27 April 1992
(ratified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
 11 130,411 322,250
Seychelles 22 March 2005 3 44,025 108,790
Sierra Leone 13 April 2000 1 295,000 730,000
Slovakia 1 January 1993 14 40,697 100,560
Slovenia 25 June 1991 3 8,205 20,270
South Africa 21 December 1975 28 572,252 1,414,070
South Sudan 10 October 2013 1 5,700,000 14,000,000
Spain 4 September 1982 76 313,083 773,640
Sri Lanka 15 October 1990 6 198,172 489,690
Sudan 7 May 2005 3 2,489,600 6,152,000
Suriname 22 November 1985 1 12,000 30,000
Sweden 21 December 1975 68 665,474 1,644,420
Switzerland 16 May 1976 11 14,690 36,300
Syrian Arab Republic 5 July 1998 1 10,000 25,000
Tajikistan 18 November 2001 5 94,600 234,000
Thailand 13 September 1998 15 405,219 1,001,320
Togo 4 November 1995 4 1,210,400 2,991,000
Trinidad and Tobago 21 April 1993 3 15,919 39,340
Tunisia 24 March 1981 42 844,685 2,087,260
Turkey 13 November 1994 14 184,487 455,880
Turkmenistan 3 July 2009 1 267,124 660,080
Uganda 4 July 1988 12 454,303 1,122,610
Ukraine 1 December 1991 50 802,604 1,983,280
United Arab Emirates 29 December 2007 10 39,166 96,780
United Kingdom 5 May 1976 175 1,283,040 3,170,500
United Republic of Tanzania 13 August 2000 4 4,868,424 12,030,140
United States of America 18 December 1986 41 1,884,551 4,656,830
Uruguay 22 September 1984 3 435,837 1,076,980
Uzbekistan 8 February 2002 3 590,400 1,459,000
Vanuatu 4 November 2019 0 0 0
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 23 November 1988 5 265,668 656,480
Vietnam 20 January 1989 9 120,549 297,880
Yemen 8 February 2008 1 580 1,400
Zambia 28 December 1991 8 4,030,500 9,960,000
Zimbabwe 3 May 2013 7 453,828 1,121,430

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "A brief history of the Ramsar Convention". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Contracting Parties of the Ramsar Convention". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  3. ^ Heinen, Joel (20 June 2007). Hite, Kirsten (ed.). "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat". Encyclopedia of Earth. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  5. ^ This is the date the Convention came into force for the state, not the date of the ratification of the treaty.
Retrieved from ""