'..Unfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland; something to be drained, filled and converted to other purposes. The main causes of wetlands loss and degradation are changes in land use, especially conversion to agriculture and grazing and the growth of cities and their infrastructure. And this is all made worse by the leakage into our wetlands of an excess of nutrients, and water being diverted to make dams, ponds, channels and canals...' - Message from Dr. Christopher Briggs - Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on the occasion of the World Wetlands Day 2015. More: http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/messages