• Wetland soils turned out not to be suitable for crop growing. In addition, destruction of wetlands to provide arable land led to the sinking of the groundwater table and to a lack of water for agriculture and of good-quality drinking water for the population in the region.
• The dikes around rivers were not much help against severe floods in riparian countries (see Fig. 23):

Figure 23 – Flood caused by heavy rain and destruction of floodplain, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (source – the Convention on Wetlands website).

Over the years wetlands have proven their essential importance to the fine balance of the ecosystems. Their degradation and loss results in a decline in the important functions of this ecosystem type and, hence, in the benefits wetlands provide to society.

The increasing worldwide awareness of the importance of wetland functions and their associated benefits was first demonstrated in 1971, when on February 2^nd the representatives of 18 countries gathered in the Iranian city of Ramsar to sign The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. As of 2^nd December 2003, there are 138 Contracting Parties to the Convention, and the Number of sites designated for the List of Wetlands of International Importance is 1328, covering approximately 111.9 million hectares (1.11 million km²). The objective of the Convention at that time was to conserve wetlands as a habitat for waterbirds. During the past years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use, "recognizing wetlands as ecosystems that are extremely important for biodiversity conservation in general and for the well-being of human communities" (The Ramsar Info Pack – What is the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands?). Therefore, nowadays the Convention is referred to as the "Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)" or simply as the "Ramsar Convention".

The Convention provides the framework for international cooperation and national action for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources, and its target is to achieve sustainable development throughout the world. The main instrument through which the Convention works is the List of Wetlands of International Importance (also called Ramsar sites) – a wetland has to meet certain criteria to qualify for inclusion in the list, and once included, special care has to be taken of the wetland to provide for its integrity and normal functioning. When a wetland is designated a Wetland of International Importance, the respective government has higher chances to receive funding from various international donors to support the healthy status and proper functioning of the wetland.