This year all activities related to the Ramsar Convention will focus on the connection between wetlands and forests. This connection is rarely mentioned and the huge importance of forests for securing enough stocks of fresh water on Earth and maintaining the normal operation of wet ecosystems is often neglected. Forests act as protection in major flood events, maintain high level of underground water, host thousands of animals, serve as a major part of the water cycle, prevent erosion, remove toxic substances, thus securing pure drinking water, provide shade, preventing over-evaporation, create leaf deposits, serving as food for many animals. At the same time forests in wetlands are of extreme importance for the environmental equilibrium on Earth.
To celebrate the World Wetlands Day, this year Green Balkans organized several events in Plovdiv and Pomorie.
In Plovdiv, at the bank of the Maritsa River, which is among the most significant bio-corridors and wetlands inland, the Green Balkans’ team carried out an informational campaign. All interested citizens could learn for the importance of wetlands and could observe the rich biodiversity of the river through a spotting-scope and other equipment provided. In addition to that, a representative of Green Balkans introduced the kids from several schools of Plovdiv with the rich life of Maritsa on a special presentation in the Kids Section of the Ivan Vazov National Library. The event was supported by RIEW Plovdiv.
The Visitor Centre of Pomorie, celebrated the event presenting the Ramsar sites in Bulgaria and the official anniversary video distributed by the Ramsar Convention Directorate. In addition to that, the Green Balkans’ team launched the new interactive touch-screen, intended to allow the visitors to get introduced to the interesting facts concerning the Lake of Pomorie as one of the 10 Ramsar sites of Bulgaria. The touch-screen, as well as a great part of the other equipment of the Visitor Centre was funded by the Environment 2007-2013 Operational Programme, supported by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and the state budget of the Republic of Bulgaria.
For further information please contact:
Neli Arabadzhieva – Green Balkans, phone: + 359 884 257711
Photo credit: Anelia Pavlova, Anton Todorov, Neli Arabadzhieva
