Wetlands

Imagine a place where water sets the rhythm of time. Where plants, animals, and even the soil depend on moisture to exist. That is what wetlands are like: ecosystems that are always or almost always flooded.

Wetlands can take many forms: mangroves, lagoons, marshes, rivers, cenotes, or ciénegas. Mexico has many of them, and they are home to an enormous diversity of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Wetlands are the Earth’s kidneys: they clean and filter water, regulate climate, and store carbon, helping address climate change.

They also protect communities from flooding and provide food and shelter for fish, frogs, reptiles, mammals, and thousands of birds—many of them migratory.

When a wetland is healthy, its natural richness makes it clear. The presence of many different species is a strong sign of its health.

In 1971, the Ramsar Convention was established in Iran as an international agreement to protect wetlands because of their importance for water, nature, including people.

Thanks to this agreement, Ramsar Sites were created. Mexico is one of the countries with the most international recognition, with 144 designated wetlands.

Every February 2—also known in Mexico as the Day of La Candelaria—World Wetlands Day is celebrated, reminding us that protecting these ecosystems means protecting life itself.