The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty signed in 1971 which promotes the conservation and sustainable or “wise use” of wetlands. Ramsar initiated the Wetlands for the Future programme in 1997 with the aim of building capacity locally as well as gathering information to integrate wetlands conservation and management on the ground. Together, these intend to enhance implementation of the Ramsar Convention, to protect and restore the vital ecosystems that are wetlands.

In 2022, Barbados was awarded funds from the Wetlands for the Future project. These funds were used to develop an inventory of the wetlands of Barbados as well as a management plan for the Long Pond wetland, recognised for its contribution to the island’s natural capital. The Barbados National Wetland Inventory was completed in March 2023 and categorises the primary, secondary and tertiary wetlands of the island. It further reports on various characteristics of these wetlands including biodiversity, geomorphology, threats, water regimes, and ecosystem services with a special focus on the four primary wetlands: Long Pond, Green Pond, Graeme Hall and Chancery Lane.

Below is a table of all of the wetlands identified in this study. Notably, the study identifies many gaps in knowledge about Barbados’ smaller secondary and tertiary wetland habitats and the biota they are home to. While these wetlands are individually small in area, they collectively form an important repository of biodiversity on the island.

Table 1: Nationally Important Wetlands

To learn more about Barbados’ wetlands, please follow this link to the report.