Mayor Min Kyung-sun vows thorough preparation for international Ramsar Wetland City certification
Goyang Special City announced Friday that it has been selected as a domestic candidate city in the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy's fourth round of evaluations for Ramsar Wetland City certification.
Three cities were chosen in this round: Goyang Special City, Goseong-gun in South Gyeongsang Province and Yeongyang-gun in North Gyeongsang Province. Goyang plans to pursue follow-up procedures to secure final international certification at the 2028 Ramsar Convention Conference of the Parties.
The Ramsar Wetland City designation is an international certification under the Ramsar Convention recognizing cities that link the ecological value of wetlands to sustainable local development. It applies to municipalities and communities that work together to conserve and wisely use wetlands.
Goyang's Janghang Wetland sits at the mouth of the Han River and covers approximately 5.95 square kilometers. It features a distinctive ecological environment shaped by the freshwater of the Han River and the tidal influence of the Yellow Sea. The wetland supports diverse habitats — including willow groves, tidal channels and farmland — and serves as a key habitat for endangered species such as the white-naped crane and the black-faced spoonbill, as well as an important stopover and wintering ground for migratory birds.
Recognized for these ecological qualities, Janghang Wetland was included in the Han River Estuary Wetland Protection Area designated in 2006. It has since received a series of domestic and international acknowledgments: listing on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership network in 2019, registration as a Ramsar wetland in 2021 and designation as an ecotourism area in 2024.
The city has carried out a range of conservation programs to enhance biodiversity and improve wintering habitat at Janghang Wetland, including ecosystem service payment contracts, winter food supply for migratory birds and ecological monitoring. It has also strengthened public-private wetland conservation by partnering with businesses, civic groups and relevant agencies on habitat protection activities.
Centered on the Ramsar Goyang Janghang Wetland Ecology Center, the city runs exhibition, education and hands-on programs to raise awareness of the wetland's ecological value and the importance of biodiversity, while working to broaden public participation in conservation efforts.
Building on this selection, Goyang plans to continue systematic conservation and management of Janghang Wetland and other local wetlands, and to expand their wise use through environmental education and ecotourism, with the goal of developing into a sustainable wetland city where nature and people coexist.
"Being selected as a domestic candidate city for Ramsar Wetland City certification is a meaningful recognition of the wetland conservation and management policies, public-private cooperation and ecological education efforts Goyang has steadily pursued," Mayor Min Kyung-sun said. "We will further strengthen community cooperation for wetland conservation and wise use, and prepare thoroughly to receive international Ramsar Wetland City certification in 2028."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
