To elevate World Wetlands Day (WWD) this 2024, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through its Biodiversity Management Bureau, leads the national celebration in the municipality of Hungduan, Ifugao, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

Every February 2, this global observance also honors the anniversary of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971 and the declaration of National Wetlands Day by the Philippine government in 1999 by virtue of Proclamation No. 74.

Emphasizing the connection between the health of the world’s wetlands and human wellbeing, this year features the theme, “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing: Life Interlaced Wetlands and People.” This is to raise conservation efforts along with appreciating the integral role of local wetlands to human wellbeing.

Aside from sustenance and resilience, wetlands are also deemed a source of inspiration, among its benefits.

To further enrich the ecosystem services of wetlands, the celebration in Hungduan, Ifugao will focus on wetlands and communities, including their agricultural practices recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

To celebrate WWD 2024, the BMB, in collaboration with the DENR-Cordillera Administrative Region, Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau – Watershed and Water Resources Research, Development, and Extension Center (ERDB-WWRRDEC), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Ifugao, Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) Lamut and Alfonso Lista and the Local Government Unit of Hungduan, will hold the national celebration in the Municipality of Hungduan, Ifugao. This year’s celebration will showcase the wetlands, traditional practices and culture as well as the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems of the town of Hungduan.

The highlights of the World Wetlands Day 2024 celebration includes: a.) Town Hall Meeting which aims to establish a dialogue among local stakeholders, Local Government Unit (LGU) and the DENR on wetland protection and conservation; b.) Exposure trip to important wetlands in Hungduan; c.) Pledge of Support for the National Wetland Conservation Bill; and d.) Video documentary film on the Indigenous Knowledge System and Conservation Practices of Hungduan.

It aims to raise awareness and promote the vital role of wetlands in the wellbeing of the locals, highlight the traditional practices, culture, and rituals related to wetland conservation, and showcase the interconnection of the wetlands and the GIAHS in the area. This is to strengthen the support for the local initiatives in the Philippines. As an opportunity to sustainably develop, Hungduan also reveals their timeless culture interlaced with wetlands and human wellbeing. Through the holistic approach of age-old practices interconnected with biodiversity conservation, communities and other localities are also shared with a vision of long-term sustainability and strategic environmental response.