International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) Celebrated

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity”. In marking this day, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation led a high powered delegation on a tour of the Densu Delta Ramsar Site in the Ga South Municipal Assembly.

The tour was to highlight issues and threats that urbanization, with uncontrolled and unauthorized housing of the floodplain and marshlands is having on our biodiversity.

Ghana ratified the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and has since designated six wetland areas as Ramsar Sites or Wetland of International Importance. Five of these sites are along the coast. They are the Keta lagoon, Songor lagoon, Sakumo lagoon, Densu Delta and the Muni lagoon.

All Ramsar Sites are nationally reserved by a Legislative Instrument L.I. 1659, Wetlands Management (Ramsar Sites) Regulations, 1999.

Densu Delta wetland is important for species of resident and migratory waterbirds. Sixty species of waterbirds have been recorded at this site with an estimated population of some 35,000 birds, including globally important numbers of eight species. The site is particularly important for roosting terns and is the second most important site for the rare Sterna dougallii. In addition to the species occurring in globally important numbers, the site supports significant populations of birds. Three species of marine turtles Lepidochelys olivacea, Chelonia mydas and Dermochelys coriacea have been recorded nesting on the beach front of the site.