FEB. 2, 2023

Environment Ministry celebrates World Wetlands Day in Mantagua, the hundredth wetland to be awarded official recognition

Mantagua, located in the Valparaíso Region, has been declared a priority site for biodiversity conservation. 

Chile celebrated World Wetlands Day by officially recognizing the Mantagua Urban Wetland. It is the hundredth to be declared since Law No. 21.202 was published to protect these places of biodiversity. Environment Minister Maisa Rojas was in attendance. 

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on February 2 to raise awareness around the world about the value of wetlands to humanity and the planet. It also commemorates the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. 

According to Minister Rojas, wetlands are natural or man-made areas of land that are inundated with fresh or salt water on a seasonal or permanent basis. Rivers, lakes, salt flats, meadows, marshes, peat bogs and highland bogs are examples of wetlands. These environments play an important role in conserving biodiversity and cushioning natural disasters, as well as mitigating and adapting to climate change. They also allow us to develop resilient cities and water security. 

Unfortunately, since 1970, at least 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost, making them the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. 

Mantagua Wetland 

The Mantagua Urban Wetland has an area of 43.5 hectares (107.5 acres). It is partially contained within the urban area of the municipality of Quintero, in the Valparaíso Region. It is made up of a system integrated by the final section of the Mantagua Estuary, which forms a meander whose mouth is normally closed by a sandbar. This creates an estuary that the locals call a “lagoon,” which connects with the sea only when the estuary floods. 

The wetland stands out for its biodiversity of flora and fauna, with 69 species of flora described for the wetland and a total 215 species of vertebrate fauna, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. This wealth of resources is defined by 11 fish, four amphibian, eight reptile, 166 bird and 26 mammal species. 

The Mantagua Wetland was categorized in 2005 as a Priority Site for Biodiversity Conservation in the Valparaíso Region. It is currently recognized as a High-Value Site for Biodiversity. In 2019, it was recognized by the Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Conservation of Bats as an “Important Area for the Conservation of Bats.”  

Urban Wetlands Law 

Law No. 21.202/2020 on Urban Wetlands seeks to protect these ecosystems and thus prevent their degradation. The Environment Ministry declares an “urban wetland” as those ecosystems that are wholly or partially within the urban limit. Recognition must be requested by municipal authorities or official letter from the Environment Ministry. 

As of February 2, 2023, the Environment Ministry has recognized 100 urban wetlands, equivalent to an area of more than 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres), located in 60 municipalities and 15 regions throughout Chile. The Environment Ministry is also currently processing an additional 88 urban wetlands for recognition.