THE City of Zamboanga marked the observance of World Wetlands Day Thursday, February 2, 2023, with mangrove planting in an east coast village of Zamboanga City.

Mayor John Dalipe together with Engineer Reynaldo Gonzales, chief of the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, led the planting of mangrove propagules held at the coastal zone of Sitio Logoy Diutay in Talon-Talon village in observance of World Wetlands Day 2023.

Gonzales said that a total of 2,500 mangrove propagules were planted in a hectare area in the coastal zone with numerous agencies, private organizations, non-government organizations and the education sector participating in the activity.

The mangrove planting activity highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration and calls on all generations to take steps to revive and restore degraded wetlands.

Gonzales said that wetlands are indispensable for the countless benefits or ecosystem services that they provide humanity, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials and biodiversity to flood control, groundwater recharge and climate change mitigation.

This year’s observance of World Wetlands Day is anchored in the theme “It’s time for wetland restoration."

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every February 2 and marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. (SunStar Zamboanga)