COP15 highlights the role of wetlands in the sustainability of the planet

Harare, July 24 (EFE) - Government representatives and international organizations on Thursday highlighted the role of wetlands in the planet's sustainability and urged the global community to prioritize their conservation during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), being held in Zimbabwe.

During the official opening ceremony of the meeting this Thursday, which began the day before in Victoria Falls (west), Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that wetlands "are crucial habitats for around 40% of the planet's species" and "provide livelihoods for more than a billion people."

"Neglecting wetlands would be abandoning an essential part of our existence," the president said, calling for "collaborative and multifaceted approaches" and the implementation of "sustainable land-use practices."

Zimbabwe ratified the Ramsar Convention, also known as the treaty, in 2013 and designated seven sites within its territory as Wetlands of International Importance, Mnangagwa said.

This category includes a global network of 2,543 wetlands, known as Ramsar sites, covering nearly 260 million hectares worldwide.

"My government is committed to leading the mobilization of resources for sustainable management, restoration, and collaboration around wetlands," the president said.

Essential for life

For her part, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, stressed that "wetlands cover only a portion of the Earth's surface, yet they are essential to life on the planet."

Azoulay lamented that these ecosystems have lost a third of their global area since the 1970s and advocated international cooperation as the "best solution" to protect them, as well as the need to harness indigenous knowledge.

Along the same lines, the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Grethel Aguilar, has warned that “failing to invest in wetlands is unsustainable” and that their conservation must be carried out “with communities and indigenous peoples at the center.”

Environment ministers from several countries also spoke at the event, including South Africa's Dion George, who emphasized that wetlands are key to water security, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

COP15, until July 31

The Ramsar Convention—named after the Iranian city where it was adopted in 1971—is an international treaty that helps its 172 member states protect ecosystems essential for biodiversity, climate stability, water security, and human well-being.

Under the theme "Protecting wetlands for our common future," COP15 will seek to strengthen the global commitment to wetlands protection through the adoption of the Victoria Falls Declaration, which focuses on mobilizing resources, strengthening legal frameworks, and promoting international cooperation, until July 31.

The summit is also expected to conclude with resolutions on climate change, biodiversity, agriculture, and gender inclusion in wetland management.