The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (referred to as the “Ramsar Convention”) is an international treaty promoting the conservation, management, and wise use of wetlands within each country’s territory through local and national actions and international cooperation.
Adopted in the city of Ramsar (Iran) in 1971, the Convention came into force in 1975, making it the oldest modern global intergovernmental environmental agreement. The Convention now has 169 Contracting Parties (i.e. member countries) and is unique in its approach establishing commitments at individual site level, as well as in national policies.
Article 1 of the Convention defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.” Wetlands play a fundamental role in the ecology of watersheds, acting as carbon sinks/reservoirs, helping to regulate global climate conditions, and supporting primary productivity for many organisms at the base of food webs. The conservation of wetlands around the world is crucial, as they are well-recognized as one of the world’s most productive ecosystems, providing countless beneficial services for humans and wildlife.
The Ramsar Convention is now more than a year into implementing its Fifth Strategic Plan (2025–2034), which incorporates ecological connectivity as a core component of global wetland conservation. With over 2,220 designated sites covering nearly 2.5 million square kilometers, the Ramsar Convention has developed into a mechanism for conserving wetlands as key habitats that are abiotically and biotically connected, dynamic, complex, and shaped by natural processes and social practices, often across national borders.
In July 2025, Contracting Parties adopted the Convention’s Fifth Strategic Plan (2025-2034) at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (CoP-15) held in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). This Fifth Strategic Plan acknowledges multiple worldviews and advances the shared global objective of:
“A world living in harmony with nature where wetlands are valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services supporting a healthy planet and delivering benefits for all people.”
The Strategic Plan responds directly to findings in the Global Wetland Outlook and assessments conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) identifying varying threats including water diversion, pollution, land-use change, invasive species, and climate change. Recognizing the urgency for change, the Strategic Plan establishes four overarching goals, including Goal 3 highlighting the importance of ecological connectivity. In addition to emphasizing the need to designate more sites and increase the area, numbers and representativity, Goal 3 highlights the need for to increase “ecological connectivity” across the Ramsar network.
This focus on ecological connectivity is also aligned with other international conservation commitments in Target 1.4 calling on Contracting Parties to:
“Strengthen protection and expand the area of wetlands that are part of ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), recognizing Indigenous and traditional territories, where applicable, and contributing to the 30 percent Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”
The Ramsar Convention’s Fifth Strategic Plan signals an evolution in global wetland governance by integrating ecological connectivity. This shift acknowledges that wetlands do not exist as isolated sites, but as systems with ecological functions depending on their connection to others. By prioritizing connectivity, the plan strengthens the capacity of wetlands to increase resilience to climate change and conserve biodiversity. Additionally, by identifying wetlands as foundational, natural infrastructure, the plan emphasizes how ecological connectivity bolsters global conservation efforts. This network is crucial for achieving long-term sustainability across ecosystems, both between people and nature.
Please note: This digest is intended to provide up-to-date information on policy development from a neutral, unaffiliated position as it relates to connectivity and corridor science and management.
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