But what are wetlands? Wetlands are areas of land that are, either temporarily or permanently, submerged in water. Swamps, bogs, and marshes are the main three sorts of wetlands. They help contribute to water purification, biodiversity protection, flood control, food supply, and carbon absorption.
Although they are among the foremost profitable environments in the world that contribute the most to human welfare, wetlands are, surprisingly, the ones most undermined by human activities. From 1970 to 2015, wetlands have declined by 35% globally.
By 2021, 2391 wetlands had been recognised as Wetlands of International Importance, with Europe accounting for around 47% of them. Nevertheless, national governments have been providing little to no protection to numerous sites. As a result, the European Union has been encouraging wetland conservation. Possessing one of the most extensive and toughest environmental rules than any other international organisation, the EU has issued several directives related to the maintenance and protection of wetlands.
Additionally, the term “Common Heritage of Humanity” is used in various international agreements. The Ramsar Convention, on the other hand, does not specifically include wetlands in the sphere of humanity’s common heritage. Despite this, the EU has designated the common heritage on a regional basis, i.e., Common European Heritage.
The European Union possesses effective legal means to ensure that the Union’s statutes and regulations, as well as those issued by its member institutions, are followed. Represented by the European Commission, this mechanism is responsible for ensuring that EU regulations on wetlands are being followed by the Member States.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the environment has been even more in the spotlight, especially in the European Union. And while the EU is one of the distinguished organisations in the field of the legal framework for protecting the environment, we should still press European governments to acquire even stronger legal protection for wetlands, in particular, and the environment, in general.