TARLAC Governor Susan Yap asked the residents in the province to protect wetlands as part of the people's responsibility to preserve the environment.

The governor said February 2, 2022 is being celebrated as World Wetlands Day with a theme "Wetlands Action for People and Nature."

Yap underscored the importance of the World Wetlands Day and everybody has a responsibility to help in protecting biodiversity and ecosystem.

The governor cited data on worldwetlandsday.org stating that "almost 90 percent of the world's wetlands have been degraded since the 1700s and we are losing wetlands three times faster than forests."

"As inhabitants of biodiversity, we must raise national and global awareness about wetlands in order to reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to conserve and restore them," Yap said.

Canarem Lake in Victoria, Tarlac is one of the 19 identified wetlands in Central Luzon, according to the

governor.

"It is home to migratory and endemic birds and a variety of flora and fauna," Yap said.

"Let us continue to preserve, maintain and protect our wetlands," she added.