Often perceived as disastrous sites, source of diseases and obstacles in development; wetlands until 1930 were considered as wastelands and then converted to more productive use.

Some great human civilisations in the world emerged in proximity to wetlands and vast flood plains of the deltas. The role of wetlands in conserving the natural environment gradually became known over the past few decades.
Wetlands are recognised water bodies and areas of international importance, identified and declared in light of the criteria of the Ramsar Convention.

Each country, which becomes a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention, is required to designate one or a number of internationally important wetlands within its territory under the convention, which binds it to safeguarding the ecological character of designated wetlands. In compliance to obligations of the convention there are presently 1828 Ramsar Sites identified throughout the world and 158 contracting parties to the convention.

Pakistan has also signed the Ramsar Convention in 1971 and ratified it in 1976, designating 19 Ramsar sites of international importance out of which nine are in Sindh, five in Balochistan, three in the Punjab, and two in NWFP. A variety of wetlands is distributed almost throughout the country from coastal mangroves and mudflats on the Indus Delta to the glacial lakes of the high Himalayas including Astola Island, Miani Hor, Ormara Turtle Beaches and Jiwani Coastal Wetland in Balochistan; Chashma Barrage, Taunsa Barrage and Uchhali Complex in Punjab; Deg Akro-II Desert wetland complex, Drigh Lake, Haleji Lake, Indus Delta, Hub Dam, Indus Dophin Reserve, Jubho Lagoon, Keenjhar Lake, Nurri Lagoon and Rann of Kutch in Sindh; and Tanda Dam and Tanedarwala in NWFP.
Ornithologists pioneered a wetland conservation approach in order to maintain the diversity of its concomitant migratory waterfowl resource. This made a platform for an international treaty to conserve wetlands in different geomorphologic regions of the world and the annotation `especially as waterfowl habitats` has been appended to the official name of the `Ramsar Convention on wetlands, which clearly highlights the importance of waterfowl conservation as ecologically invaluable adequate resources.

Wetlands connect nations as they span beyond international boundaries or share water supplies from neighbouring countries. Also, the circulation of water in the atmosphere is global and the fish hatched in wetlands of one country might be caught in those of another, or in the high seas.

Generally, there is a lack of awareness about the functions, roles and the tangible and intangible benefits that wetlands provide at both regional and global level. They are among the world`s most productive environment.

Wetlands provide substantial economic benefits to wetlands-dependent local communities since they are a source of staple food, livestock grazing and fodder, fuel-wood, transport, and peat for heating and cooking, energy generation and irrigation. According to an estimate, about one billion people eat fish as a wetlands product, in addition to crab, shrimp, and salmon. Wetlands are also a source of rice staple food of over three billion people around the world. They also provide prime opportunity for promotion of eco-tourism by virtue of their landscaping and recreational opportunities including angling, boating, hunting, hiking, and services thereby generating income for the local people.

Freshwater wetlands hold more than 40 per cent of the world species and 12 per cent of all animal species. In Pakistan, ecosystems provide essential habitats for a number of important mammal species like the smooth coated otter, Indus dolphin, fishing cat, hog deer, and wild boar, besides a diversity of aquatic plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and many invertebrates. These species use wetlands as habitat for food, water, breeding and nesting grounds, resting areas, and shelter.

Watersheds are landscape-level systems through which water drains and flows to a common area like a river, lake or ocean. They naturally store and filter water that passes through wetlands water is also a great source of power generation in Kaghan Valley and the northern areas of Pakistan. In other words, they reduce cost of expensive engineered structures for storing water that are built otherwise as water seeps slowly back into the ground and is purified and filtered, supplying people with clean water. The aquatic plants stabilise the soil, holding it in place against erosive forces. Plants break up waves and currents that would otherwise affect the soil. By trapping sediments found in the water, wetland plants also help to reinforce soils against erosion

The increased biotic pressure has posed tremendous threats to the values, functions, and physical existence of the existing wetlands on account of human needs and requirements. At present, these wetlands are drained, embankments are built, water supplies are diverted and coastal wetlands converted into aquaculture.

Access to freshwater is declining for one to two billion people worldwide and this in turn negatively affects food production, human health, and economic development, and it can increase societal conflict.

It is not only wildlife that has suffered but also millions of people worldwide who derive wide range of benefits from wetlands. Bettering management of existing wetlands and increasing network of the wetlands would fulfill our national commitment to the Ramsar Convention at large.

Every year, February 2 is internationally celebrated as World Wetlands Day and the theme of 2009 is `Upstream-Downstream wetlands connect us all.` It focuses on the role wetlands play in the surrounding environment. It marks the anniversary of the intergovernmental treaty popularly known as the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) that was signed in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971, which binds nations for the common cause of wetlands conservation.