Pioneer city for sustainable urbanization

Suncheon and three other Korean municipalities have been recognized as international "wetland cities" for their efforts to safeguard urban wetlands.

Suncheon and three Korean municipalities, Changnyeong, Inje and Jeju were given the accreditation at the Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance held in Dubai in October 25, 2018. Fourteen more cities, including those in China, France and Hungary, also gained the recognition.

The accredited cities can use the "Ramsar" brand for six years to promote their agricultural goods and ecological tourism.

Suncheon Mayor Heo Seok (right) receives the accreditation for “Wetland City” at the Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention held in Dubai in October 25.

The Dubai Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands launched the Wetland City Accreditation program. The accreditation program has initially recognized 18 cities of 7 countries which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands, saying that the pioneer cities will serve as examples and inspire deliberate actions for other cities toward sustainable urbanization.

South Korea first proposed the Wetland City Accreditation program in 2011 and then formally made a joint proposal with Tunisia. It was adopted in the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention held in Uruguay in 2015. A Ramsar Convention conference is held every three years.

Suncheon was highly praised for its efforts to expand its ecosystem preservation from "village" to "city" through interaction with residents. Attending the Dubai Ramsar Convention conference, Suncheon Mayor Heo Seok disclosed that Suncheon residents have made serious efforts to preserve the habitat of the black-dark cranes and plants for the past 20 years. Efforts have been exerted to expand the city’s protected wetlands and restore wetlands, he said.

In addition to the creation of the Suncheon National Garden at Suncheon Bay, Mayor Heo said the municipal government has enacted regulations designed to support people of protected areas, while trying to draw active participation from residents in the protection of wetlands. He said that the city has also put a public-private governance cooperation system in place for 10 years in stepped-up efforts to safeguard its urban wetlands.

As it was certified as the Wetland City, Suncheon will be able to use the internationally recognized brand of Ramsar for six years. The plan is to utilize the Ramsar brand in local agricultural products in order to enhance competitiveness, increase incomes for residents and promote high-quality eco-tourism. In addition, “through engagement and innovation, we will work hard to develop into a sustainable ecological city where nature and humans can depend on each other,” Mayor Heo said.

A Ministry of Environment official said Ramsar is a highly recognized and reliable brand in the international community. "This can be used for the sale of environment-friendly agricultural and other products and ecological tourism," he said. As heads of the accredited 18 municipals from around the world proposed to form a consultative body, greater international cooperation is anticipated in this regard, he said.

The 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was held from October 22-29, 2018, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under the theme “Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future.” Over 1,360 participants representing 143 of the 170 parties to the Convention, as well as the International Organization Partners of the Ramsar Convention, UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting.

The Wetland City Accreditation scheme is intended to encourage cities in close proximity to and dependent on wetlands, especially Wetlands of International Importance, to highlight and strengthen a positive relationship with these valuable ecosystems, for example through increased public awareness of wetlands and participation in municipal planning and decision-making.

The accreditation scheme should further promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local people. “The voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts,” according to the Ramsar Convention website.


Suncheon to host inaugural meeting of heads of Wetland Cities in 2019

Suncheon City announced that it will host a network meeting of local government heads of the newly accredited Wetland Cities next year. The mayor of Suncheon said that heads of the 18 Wetland Cities agreed to establish a network to expand international exchanges in wetland conservation. The first meeting will be held in Suncheon in 2019, he said.

"The Suncheon Ramsar Wetland City Accreditation program was kicked off at the initiative of citizens,” stressed Mayor Heo. "We will seek to expand international exchanges among the Ramsar Wetland Cities, along with the Ramsar Regional Center in Suncheon, and endeavor to create a city where people are happy."

Heads of Jeju City, Suncheon City, Changnyeong-gun and Inje-gun, which were certified as the Ramsar Wetland Cities, attended the 2018 Dubai Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention and were given the accreditation. These local governments have pledged to step up efforts to preserve and use wetlands wisely according to their regional peculiarities.

Jeju laid out a comprehensive plan for conservation of wetlands in the island and created regulations for wetland protection. Of note, residents living near Dongbaekdongsan and other wetlands actively participated in the operation of the Dongbaekdong Mountain Wetland Center.

Changnyeong, along with residents of Upo Marsh, designated a special wetland for crested ibis so that the rare bird can return to Korea. This move was taken in consultation with Changnyeong Education Support Agency and Nakdong River Basin Environment Agency. As such, related local agencies joined forces to safeguard wetlands and wild animals in Changyeong County.

Inje helped people living near the Daeam Mountain wetland to grow wetland plants, such as thin olive, and promote a wetland restoration project being pushed by Wonju Regional Environmental Administration.

Suncheon Bay Wetlands known worldwide
The fields in Suncheon Bay are thickly covered with reeds taller than a full-grown man. It is the biggest colony of reeds in Korea. The field of reeds is home to many plants that thrive in damp conditions, like the common reed and the starwort.

Among the world’s wetlands, Suncheon Bay is widely known for attracting the largest number of rare birds. Internationally rare birds such as the hooded crane, white-naped cranes, white storks, black-faced spoonbills are spotted there. There are about 140 species of birds including the snipes, wild ducks, shelducks, and wild gooses in total.

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