On March 31 the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, in partnership with la Fundación Humedales de Argentina, organized a conference to discuss global water issues and the impact of wetlands on agriculture. The event, “ Humedales, Agua y Agricultura: Interacciones Complejas en un Entorno Complejo,” combined the themes of World Wetlands Day (“Wetlands and Agriculture”) with those of World Water Day (“Water Quality and Management”).
Frank Talluto, one of the Embassy’s Environment, Science, and Technology officers, gave a brief presentation on U.S. State Department initiatives to address water issues. He was followed by expert speakers Rubén Darío Quintana and Heber José Sosa who discussed the importance of wetlands in preserving freshwater and the effect of agricultural expansion on the wetlands of the Paraná Delta.
The event was designed to call attention to water issues globally and the challenges that must be overcome to preserve freshwater for an ever expanding population. Specifically, it called attention to the challenges of conservation of wetlands for the preservation of fresh water.
Fundación Humedales is a non-profit organization that works to inventory and conserve wetlands and their habitats and promote their sustainable use. The organization is also involved in the conservation and monitoring of migratory aquatic birds and the preservation of aquatic biodiversity. The organization’s principal initiative is the preservation of wetlands in the Paraná Delta. http://lac.wetlands.org.
