Why Ramsar Wetlands matter: Protecting water, wildlife and our future

When it comes to discussion on the environment, trees get a lot of air time. But earth is losing wetlands three times faster than forests. 

That matters because wetlands are vital ecosystems. They are heavy lifters when it comes to helping with the biggest environmental challenges of our time through their role in boosting biodiversity and addressing climate change.  

They also provide fresh water and support the economic and cultural wellbeing of people everywhere. 

But on a global scale, 30% of wetlands have been lost since the 1970s.  

Global effort to conserve wetlands 

To address the problem, 172 countries agreed in 1971 on a commitment to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and undertake measures to better conserve those left. 

That treaty was called The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. It was signed in the coastal Iranian tourist city of Ramsar and so has become more widely known as The Ramsar Convention. 

It was remarkable because up until that day, treaties were generally between nations to address terms of war, ceasefires or supply of aid. This was the first time a modern treaty had been signed between nations with the aim of conserving natural resources. 

What’s a Ramsar Wetland? 

Under The Ramsar Convention, wetlands around the world which are identified as being rare, unique or important for conserving biological diversity become designated Ramsar Wetlands. 

There are more than 2,400 Ramsar Wetlands globally and Australia has 67. 

There are three of these special wetlands in our South West NRM Region and, with support from our partners, we have undertaken an extensive body of work over many years to both conserve and  improve the health of these wetlands. We are also working on a current new project with progress now happening. 

3 Ramsar Wetlands in our South West 

Lake Toolibin 

Designated Ramsar Site since 1990 

Sits within one of 20 Priority Places identified for attention by the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan.   

Lake Toolibin is located within the WA Wheatbelt Woodlands and is one of the last inland freshwater lakes found in our South West. It includes a Threatened Ecological Community (in danger of being lost) and when full, supports more breeding waterbird species than all other inland wetlands in our region.  

Vasse-Wonnerup 

Designated Ramsar Site since 1990 

Vasse-Wonnerup System is an important feeding habitat where thousands of migratory shorebirds (many listed as threatened species) spend the summer months feeding before their long migration to the northern hemisphere for breeding. 

Muir-Byenup 

Designated Ramsar Site since 2001 

Muir-Byenup is a rare peat wetland system covering 10,631ha (7000ha is wetland) with threatened species unique to the region including: 

• Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) 

• quokka (Setonix brachyurus) 

• numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) 

• chuditch or western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) 

• woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) 

• Three wetland-dependent orchids (Caladenia christineae, Caladenia harringtoniae and Diuris 

• drummondii)  

• Balston’s Pygmy Perch (Nannatherina balstoni) 

• Muir’s corella (Cacatua pastinator pastinator) 

• forest red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso). 

 
Current wetland work 

Right now my team is working with local communities, regional partners and land managers to manage and mitigate environmental threats and improve the overall health and function of our South West’s three Ramsar Wetlands through research, monitoring and infrastructure improvements. 

Our current five-year project (Funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by South West NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel) is the second body of Ramsar Wetland work and aims to further improve condition and reduce threats to ecological character across all three wetland sites. You can read about our previous Ramsar work here.