23 February 2010 - 2 February 1971 marked the establishment of a day on which countries around the world came together and signed the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian City of Ramsar. This Convention came to be known as the "RAMSAR CONVENTION." All signatory countries adopted it as a means of promoting awareness as well as fostering compliance towards protecting and preserving wetlands around the world.

This year the department of Economic Development, Environment & Tourism (LEDET) will be hosting a one day Wetlands Seminar on 25 February 2010 in Giyani - Shawela Village's JB Chauke Sports Ground, Mopani District. Some of the stakeholders that will take part in the seminar will include the Mopani District Municipality and Greater Giyani Municipality.

The Wetlands Seminar will be officially opened by the Honourable MEC Pitsi Moloto and will have presentations by different speakers from the following institutions, LEDET, Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Limpopo Department of Agriculture and SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute).

After the presentations, a site visit to the Baleni Wetlands which are just a stone throw away from the JB Chauke Sports Ground will be undertaken whereby the Mahumani Traditional Council will give a presentation on how they use indigenous knowledge in the conservation of the wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention introduces a new theme every year for World Wetlands Day Celebrations and the theme for this year is "Wetlands, biodiversity and climate change." The theme is derived from the fact that 2010 is United Nation's international year of biodiversity. It all began in 2001 when European Union agreed that the biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010.

As adopted at COP10 (2008), the climate change resolution provides brief information on the major implication of climate change for present and future wetlands ecosystem health. Therefore, the Ramsar Convention slogan for this year is "Caring for Wetlands an answer to climate change"

The Ramsar Convention treaty provides a framework for national action and international co-operation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and wetland resources.

It is very important for communities to take part in wetlands celebrations as this not only emphasizes the importance of sustainable development but assists in the education and creation of awareness to citizens of the big responsibility of taking care of wetlands and preserving them for future generations.