Public awareness of wetlands and their conservation

Abstract

A negative attitude toward wetlands along with an ignorance regarding them and a lack of awareness about their value have often led to their transformation by humans. Their massive degradation and consequently their disappearance were the main reasons for the establishment of the Ramsar Convention, the first intergovernmental agreement on the preservation and sustainable use of wetlands. There are three wetlands in Slovenia on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance: the Sečovlje salt pans, Škocjan Caves, and Cerknica Lake and its surroundings. Using a questionnaire survey, we tried to ascertain the level of public awareness about wetlands and attitudes toward their conservation. On the basis of the results acquired, we discovered that public awareness about wetlands conservation depends primarily on the location of residence and the social structure of the population. A negative opinion on the advantages of life in the protected areas within which the Ramsar localities are located was revealed, the result of a lack of information and insufficient knowledge of the environmental and economic functions of wetlands. Effective programs of education and involvement of the population in activities in protected areas must be implemented in the future. The comprehensive education of local people and interdisciplinary cooperation are the key points for changing human perception on the importance of protecting these vulnerable ecosystems.