The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The list of wetlands is still growing (see figure for current extent), but we have not yet arrived at the number of wetlands which existed in the early 20th century.
RAMSAR and IPBES (the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) have now published an important Policy Brief entitled "Integrating multiple wetland values into decision-making":
The Ramsar Convention recognizes the interdependence of people on wetlands
for their important economic, cultural, scientific and recreational values. The
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES) provides a framework for considering the multiple values of nature,
including wetlands, and its benefits to society within policy-making and decision-
making processes. The recognition of the diverse values of wetlands is essential to
their wise use, and to ensuring that their role is reflected in global policy processes
such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for
Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Find the full brief here.