25 new cities awarded Wetland City Accreditation

During the 59th meeting of the Convention’s Standing Committee on 26 May 2022, the Co-Chairs of the Independent Advisory Committee on Wetland City Accreditation announced that 25 applicant cities had been accepted in recognition of their exceptional efforts to safeguard urban wetlands for people and nature.

Cities accredited:

• Canada: Sackville

• China: Hefei; Jining; Liangping; Nanchang; Panjin; Wuhan; and Yangcheng

• France: Belval-en-Argonne and Seltz

• Indonesia: Subaraya and Tanjung Jabung Timur

• Islamic Republic of Iran: Bandar Khamir and Varzaneh

• Iraq: Al Chibayish

• Japan: Izumi and Niigata

• Morocco: Ifrane

• Republic of Korea: Gochang; Seocheon; and Seogwipo

• Rwanda: Kigali

• South Africa: Cape Town

• Spain: Valencia

• Thailand: Sri Songkhram District

‘The Wetland City Accreditation scheme is an important opportunity for cities and local governments to integrate wetland conservation and sustainable management with sustainable development and delivery of vital services. Amid rising pressure to tackle the climate, pollution and biodiversity crises together, urban wetlands offer valuable nature-based solutions for healthier, prosperous and sustainable societies’, said Martha Rojas Urrego, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands.

With more than half the world’s population living in urban areas, city wetlands face growing pressures from human activities, leading to pollution, degradation and loss of water resources. Yet when preserved and sustainably used, urban wetlands can provide cities with multiple benefits: from flood and drought prevention to safeguarding biodiversity, water quality and energy access. They also provide important services for livelihoods, recreation, health and wellbeing.

Recognizing the importance of cities and urban areas, the Convention on Wetlands introduced the Wetland City Accreditation scheme in 2015. The voluntary scheme encourages cities to value their natural or human-made wetlands and commit collective efforts to protect, sustainably manage and restore urban wetlands.

During the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP13) in 2018 the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands recognized 18 cities. Following this second round of the scheme, a total of 43 cities in 17 countries are accredited as Wetland Cities. The 25 new cities will be recognized at COP14.