Ramsar Sites
this map was generated from data owned by the Countryside Council for Wales
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention. The mission of the Convention is “the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. The Convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and ratified by the UK Government in 1976.
In the UK, the first Ramsar sites were designated in 1976. Since then many more have been designated. Compared to many countries, the UK has a relatively large number of Ramsar sites, but they tend to be smaller in size than many countries. The initial emphasis was on selecting sites of importance to waterbirds within the UK, and consequently many Ramsar sites are also Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the EC Birds Directive.
The Ramsar Convention and Wetlands website provides more information. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee provides a list of Ramsar sites in the UK.