Wetlands are among the most important life support systems on earth. Wetlands are areas with permanent or temporary shallow open water, such as marshes, swamps and mangroves. Wetlands can be any area of land that is regularly underwater, including sea water which does not exceed six metres at low tide. Australia has a great diversity of wetlands. However, since European settlement, over half of Australia's wetlands have been destroyed and the remainder are under threat.
Wetlands are vital for sustaining life on earth.
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed in the Iranian town of Ramsar in 1971, aims to halt the loss of wetlands and to conserve the remaining wetlands. Countries are expected to manage their Ramsar sites so as to preserve their unique ecological characteristics.