Concerns about wetland conservation have become international. Virtually every country can appreciate the need to protect wetlands for the most basic reasons: in the Sahel, to sustain vital inland fisheries; in Central America, to maintain watershed quality; and in countries along the world's great rivers, to provide flood protection.
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, adopted at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is evidence of some of this concern. The Ramsar Convention is the only international instrument concerned with one habitat type. To date, it has been ratified by 38 countries; ratification by the United States awaits Senate action. Although prompted particularly by the need to protect international migratory bird habitat, the treaty recognizes the many functions and values of wetlands. It requires each Contracting Party to designate at least one internationally important wetland for inclusion on the Convention List of Wetlands of International Importance (300 now listed) and generally to protect wetlands through wise use and planning.