Chungcheongnam-do

▲ Event commemorating the 15th World Wetlands Day

An event commemorating the 15th World Wetlands Day was held on May 20 at the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do.

February 2 is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of Ramsar Convention, which was signed for the preservation of wetlands on February 2, 1971. In this country, the government has held the annual event at swamps (run by the Ministry of Environment) and tidal flats (run by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries) alternately. The tidal flat in Seocheon was designated as an area for protection, and an event commemorating World Wetlands Day was held there in 2008.

This year’s commemorative event was held with 1,000-plus people in attendance, including swamp experts and central/local government officials.

During the event, which was themed Wetlands, the Key to New Climate Change , an international symposium and the Korean Wetlands Society’s policy discussion were held. Ancillary events like hands-on experience with wetland ecosystems, film viewing, education programs, etc., were also held.

Prior to the commemorative event, a workshop on the restoration of ecosystems on the coastal areas and river estuaries  was held on May 19. The workshop introduced the ongoing status of research on the ecological value of coastal areas and river estuaries, sustainable growth through ecological restoration, and efforts for the restoration of ecosystems on local coastal areas and river estuaries. The following events were also held: symposium on research on the diversity of marine life in the country, report on international cooperative projects for tidal flats including Geumgang River Estuary and Yubudo Island; and relevant debate sessions.

Chungcheongnam-do and Seocheon-gun had the relevant experts make an onsite inspection of Yubudo Tidal Flat, which is a habitat of migratory birds, as a pre-step for its registration as UNESCO World Heritage by 2019. With this inspection, the two governments had a good opportunity to publicize the excellence of Yubudo Tidal Flat.

“Stressing the advantage of Seocheon’s clean tidal flats and sea, we will develop the image of our region as a tourist destination for hands-on marine experience. The effort will also help visitors pay attention to the importance of preserving the marine environment,” County Governor No Bakrae of Seocheon-gun said, commenting on the commemorative event.

Areas in the province designated for protection include the 15.3km2-long Seocheon Tidal Flat Wetland Conservation Area, which runs from Seo-myeon, Biin-myeon, Jongcheon-myeon to Yubudo -- all belonging to Seocheon-gun -- and the 0.64 km2-long Sinduri Coastal Sand Dune Marine Protected Area , Wonbuk-myeon, Taean-gun.