The 10th Conference of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will open October 28th in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, for eight days.

Also called the "environment Olympics," the convention is held every three years under a multilateral environmental treaty among 157 member nations for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.

Some 2,000 representatives from 165 nations and non-governmental organizations will gather for what is expected to be the largest meeting in the event's history.

The province is making final preparations with the goal of making this year's gathering a global environment festival.

South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Tae-ho said the convention will turn the province into the "environmental capital," adding the region's wetlands and reservoirs will become an international tourist attraction.