Introducing the Wetland Cities Accreditation Scheme to Subnational Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
Welcome to Wetland City for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a website that highlights the benefits of urban wetlands for people and biodiversity in our region. On this site we also introduce the “Wetland City Accreditation of the Convention on Wetlands”, a scheme adopted in 2015 during the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP12), through the Resolution XII.10.
By this resolution, the Contracting Parties recognize “the huge potential of urban areas in terms of education and public awareness related to wetlands conservation” and that the accreditation system can assist cities, Contracting Parties and stakeholders in promoting awareness and attracting support for the wise use and conservation of wetlands.
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I am delighted to see the enthusiasm of Latin American countries for the Wetland City Accreditation Scheme. The scheme both decentralizes and empowers subnational governments to drive and accelerate effective action that achieves global and national SDG targets focusing on wetlands.”
Dr. Musonda Mumba
General Secretary
Convention on Wetlands
How to Navigate This Website?
Management of Urban Wetlands in Latin America and the Caribbean
Wetland City Accreditation in a Step-By-Step Manner
LAC and the Wetland City Accreditation
Examples of “Wetland Cities”
What are Wetlands?
According to Wetlands International, wetlands occur wherever water meets land. These unique habitats include mangroves, peatlands, marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs. Healthy wetlands are central to solving the interconnected climate, biodiversity, and water crises.
Source: Wetlands International. (n. d.) . Wetlands International Conclusions on COP16 .
According to the indigenous peoples of our region, particularly the Kaqchikel Maya people (Guatemala and Mexico), there are the “seven waters”: dew water, sea water, springs or water sources, underground water, lake water, river water and rainwater. These seven elements, or water characteristics, come together to give life to human beings. The “seven waters” are used by midwives to assist in births and by farmers in their crops; in short, they are immersed in the daily life of indigenous peoples.
Is There a Definition for Urban Wetlands?
The concept of urban wetlands does not currently have a scientific definition in strict terms. The academic community generally believes that urban wetlands refer to coastal areas and estuaries, riverbanks, shallow lakes, water conservation areas, natural and artificial ponds, and wastewater treatment plants within urban areas. They are considered ecosystems with a transitional nature between land and sea.
The Mhuysqa indigenous community of Bosa, in Bogotá (Colombia), considers that sacred sites form a network of vital connections. In these places, consultations, offerings (ata ta) and prayers are made for collective or individual purposes related to health, housing, family, justice, government, territory, seeds, and other areas. These sites embody the ancestral memory by preserving wisdom. Therefore, wetlands, as sacred places, are connected not only with the Bogotá Savannah but also with other places in the country and the world.
Source: Neuta, Y., Neuta, D. y Gómez, S. (2021). Voces de la Tchupqua Chiguasuque
Why are Wetlands Important for People and Biodiversity in Cities?
Ecosystem services provided by wetlands range from food security to climate change mitigation.
The benefits that wetlands deliver, such as providing drinking water, mitigating flood risk, regulating local climate, creating habitats for biodiversity, and offering opportunities for culture, education, and recreation, among others, underpin human well-being in towns and cities1.
Approximately 11% of the world’s population (896 million people2) live in low-lying coastal areas, where economic activities and critical infrastructure are concentrated.
In 2020, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that cities and settlements (C&S) by the sea are on the frontline of climate change—they face climate-compounded risks that are amongst the highest but are a key source of innovation in climate resilient development.
1. Convention on Wetlands (2013). Briefing Note 6 (Towards the wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands). Ramsar.
2. Haasnoot, M., Winter, G., Brown, S., Dawson, R., Ward, P. y Eilander, D. (2021). Long-term sea-level rise necessitates a commitment to adaptation: A first order assessment. Climate Risk Management, 34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2021.100355
To learn more about the benefits of urban wetlands, we invite you to explore ICLEI’s poster and fact sheets on the value of wetlands for cities.