The Ramsar Convention and its international importance
On 28 May 2026, by the initiative of the administration of the International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of Tajikistan and with the participation of the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, Dr. Musonda Mumba, a scientific meeting was held. The topic of the meeting was wetlands of international importance. Teachers, staff of the university, and leaders of its departments also took part in the event.
The meeting was opened by the Vice-Rector for Strategic Development of the university, Professor Zulfiya Kurbonzoda. She gave a short introduction about the Ramsar Convention, its goals, and main directions.
After that, Dr. Musonda Mumba gave a presentation. She explained that the Convention was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, and it started working in 1975. Every year, 2 February is celebrated as World Wetlands Day. The main goal of the agreement is to protect and use wetlands in a smart and sustainable way through local, national, and international cooperation. Special attention is given to wetlands of international importance, which are included in a special list. Today, there are more than 2,400 such sites in the world.
She also shared her experience from scientific research and field visits in different countries to study important wetlands. She gave useful recommendations to the participants. In particular, she mentioned the initiatives of the Government of Tajikistan under the leadership of the national leader Emomali Rahmon, especially efforts to promote glacier protection at the UN. She described these initiatives as very important and said that Tajikistan is a leader in global environmental actions.
At the end of the meeting, there was a discussion session. Participants asked questions and exchanged ideas with the international expert.
The Ramsar Convention on wetlands of international importance is one of the first and most important international environmental agreements in the world. The secretariat of the Convention is located in Gland, together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. More than 170 countries are members of the Convention.
Tajikistan joined the Ramsar Convention in 2001. The country has unique wetland ecosystems and many migratory birds. Five wetlands in Tajikistan are included in the Ramsar list of international importance: Lake Karakul (2001), Shorkul and Rangkul (2001), Zorkul (2001), the Panj River and tugai forests (2001), and the Kayrakkum Reservoir (2011).
