Gwangju Buk-gu to Register Pyeongdume Wetland as a 'Ramsar Wetland'

Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is drawing attention as it takes the lead in registering the first 'Ramsar Wetland' in the Gwangju area in collaboration with the Mudeungsan National Park Office.

According to Buk-gu on the 7th, a cooperation request was made to the Ministry of Environment on the 28th of last month to register the Pyeongdume Wetland, located at 530 Hwaam-dong within Mudeungsan National Park, as a 'Ramsar Wetland.'

The Ramsar Secretariat for Wetland Protection designates and registers wetlands recognized for their ecological protection value, such as maintaining biodiversity, as Ramsar Wetlands. Currently, 24 sites are registered in South Korea.

The Pyeongdume Wetland at the foot of Mudeungsan is a mountain-type wetland formed at an altitude of 240 meters, covering an area of 22,600 square meters. It is known as a region with high biodiversity and conservation value, hosting a total of 786 species, including rare plants such as Nakjidal and Gaedaehwang, as well as natural monuments like the Scops Owl and Blakiston's Fish Owl.

In particular, endangered wild animals such as the leopard cat, yellow-throated marten, otter, and fairy pitta inhabit the area, which is also a major habitat where various amphibians like the large mountain frog, true frog, and salamander breed collectively.

Buk-gu and the Mudeungsan National Park Office plan to actively cooperate to have Pyeongdume Wetland recognized as a Ramsar Wetland to support continuous protection and management of the wetland, enhance its international status and ecological value, and increase local residents' income through the rise in visitors.

A Buk-gu official stated, “We will establish a close cooperative system with related organizations and pool administrative efforts to ensure that Pyeongdume Wetland, an excellent ecological resource in our region, can be registered as a Ramsar Wetland.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.