LAST week, Zimbabwe hosted the 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands amid calls for strengthening the role of wetlands in national climate and biodiversity policies.
The conference attracted delegates from 172 countries to discuss the future of wetlands as vital assets for climate, biodiversity, and livelihoods. The conference adopted 25 resolutions and three consolidated resolutions, signalling a global resolve to protect and restore wetlands.
A significant outcome of the conference was the Victoria Falls Declaration, which was a key resolution adopted at the High-Level Segment of the COP15 in Zimbabwe.
The declaration acknowledges the critical role of wetlands in sustainable human livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
It also recognises the crucial role of wetlands in achieving several UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The parties pledged to strengthen policy and legal frameworks by mainstreaming wetland conservation into local, national, and regional development plans.
They also promised to improve integrated planning and management by promoting collaborative approaches among relevant government agencies, local communities, and other stakeholders.
Other commitments focused on mobilising resources, investing in scientific research and monitoring systems, and strengthening community engagement through awareness-raising and capacity-building.
The declaration also prioritised the restoration of degraded wetlands using nature-based solutions and integrating climate change considerations into wetland management to enhance their resilience.
The declaration called upon other Contracting Parties to share best practices, international organisations to strengthen financial and technical support, and the private sector to provide financial and technical assistance for sustainable wetland management programs.
At the meeting’s opening, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other high-level officials called for strengthening the role of wetlands in national climate and biodiversity policies.
In her closing remarks, Environment, Climate and Wildlife minister Evelyn Ndlovu called for international cooperation and financial mechanisms to close the resource gap for wetland restoration and protection.
“We also call upon strengthening of synergies with other multilateral environmental agencies and agreements to enable us to address complex, interconnected environmental challenges like climate change, plastic and mercury pollution more effectively and efficiently,” Ndlovu, who is also the COP15 President, said.
The event came as the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 says wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.
Since 1970, more than 411 million hectares of natural wetlands have been lost globally, and a quarter of all wetland plant and animal species are facing extinction.
Wetlands provide water filtration, flood control, carbon storage, food and water security, and homes for countless species.
In Zimbabwe, wetlands cover approximately 136,595.8 km², representing 34,96 percent of the country’s total area.
Among these, 21 percent are severely degraded, 18 percent are stable and pristine, and 61 percent are moderately degraded.
Minister Ndlovu said Zimbabwe will designate five new Ramsar Sites by 2030 and restore 250,000 hectares of degraded wetlands.
These five new Ramsar Sites will be in addition to the seven designated in 2013, namely Monavale Vlei, Cleveland Dam, Driefontein Grasslands, Lake Chivero, Chinhoyi Caves, Mana Pools, and the Victoria Falls.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Contracting parties meet every three years. Panama will host the next Conference of the Parties (COP16) in July 2028. newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw