What are Wetlands?

Exhibits in this area provide visitors with an overview on the functions and values of wetlands, the Ramsar Convention, and the importance of wetlands to wildlife.

You will explore what wetlands do through various mechanical means and lively illustrations, and discover that the major functions of wetlands include:

• Store – Wetlands absorb massive run-off and release water slowly, e.g. floodplain
• Filter – Wetlands can trap waste and break down pollutants, e.g. reed beds
• Protect – Wetlands protect our shore lines against storm waves, floods and erosions, e.g. mangroves
• Provide – Wetlands provide us food, medicines and natural materials, e.g. rice paddies
• Shelter – Wetlands are home to living organisms and support complex food web, e.g. coral reefs

There are many wetland habitats around the world, including: freshwater marshes, northern tundra, coral reef, estuaries, rocky shore and so on. To protect these precious habitats and the living creatures therein, an intergovernmental treaty "Convention on Wetlands" or "Ramsar Convention" was signed in 1971. The Mai Po Marshes and Inner Deep Bay was designated in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in 1995.

You can know more about some of the important wetlands through the "Around the World" exhibit which shows the distribution of wetlands around the world that are of international importance. Moreover, 17 representative wetlands (the large dots) are chosen to demonstrate the characteristics of these different habitats.