World Wetlands Day has been observed since 1997, every February 2nd. This year’s theme, “Wetlands and Human Well-being”, highlights the fact that wetlands serve as regulators of water regimes, mitigate climate change, and are areas with particularly high biodiversity of flora and fauna, as well as significant economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.
Three areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have been recognized as wetlands of international importance: Hutovo Blato (2001), Bardaca (2007), and Livanjsko Polje (2008). All three also hold the status of internationally important bird areas due to the large number of birds that nest there or stop during migration and wintering, according to the Ornithological Society “Nase ptice”.
At Livanjsko Polje alone, 70.000 water birds were recorded in a single day during migration.
Wetlands are exposed to various forms of degradation, including activities such as drainage, peat extraction – which plays a crucial ecological role in retaining water and various pollutants – the destruction of aquatic vegetation, which serves as a shelter and a food source for numerous animal species, and the formation of monoculture plantations. Wetland areas are also frequently affected by fires and poaching of protected species.
Apart from the Hutovo Blato Nature Park, no other wetland of international significance in BiH currently has protected status or a management plan.
BiH is the only former Yugoslav country that has not signed the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), which significantly hampers the protection of migratory bird species while also sending a negative message and diminishing the importance of efforts to minimize threats to migratory species and their habitats.
Investing in the sustainable use of wetlands also means investing in the future of humanity, the Ornithological Society “Nase ptice” states.
Hutovo Blato – A jewel of wetland habitats
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in BiH has been collaborating for many years with one of the most beautiful wetland habitats in our region – the Hutovo Blato Nature Park. This park was listed in the Ramsar Directory of internationally important wetlands under UNESCO in 2000. Along with 150 other wetlands worldwide, it holds special significance for all of humanity.
Hutovo Blato is an extremely important protected area, and yesterday, this Nature Park marked International Wetlands Protection Day with a series of events.
They emphasized the need to remind people of the exceptional importance of wetlands in maintaining environmental balance and biodiversity.
On Thursday and Friday, educational workshops were held for primary school students, while an Open Day for all interested visitors took place yesterday.
According to the organizers, this event provided a unique opportunity for those who visited Nature Park yesterday to experience firsthand the richness of the natural beauty of this wetland ecosystem and learn more about the importance of wetland conservation for our planet.
This Nature Park is a jewel among wetland habitats. It is one of the most important wetland areas in Southeastern Europe. The park was also designated a Ramsar site in 2001, covering 8.000 hectares and serving as a home to many endangered plant and animal species.
One of the main reasons Hutovo Blato is recognized as an internationally significant ecological area is its role in biodiversity conservation, particularly as a habitat for migratory birds.
More than 250 bird species use this area as a resting or stopover site along their migration routes. Additionally, Hutovo Blato is home to many rare plant species that enrich the biodiversity of the area. Besides birds, the wetlands of this region provide vital habitat for numerous other species, including fish, amphibians, and mammals that depend on water resources for survival.
