HARARE - The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) concluded Thursday in the resort city of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with an increased global commitment to wetland conservation.
The COP15 ran under the theme of "Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future," drawing government representatives to highlight the vital role of wetlands in sustaining ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Adopted resolutions at COP15 include accelerating national and regional actions, enhancing monitoring and reporting, capacity building and mobilization of resources for wetlands conservation, and mainstreaming the wetlands into climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, among others.
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Related parties also agreed to strengthen flyway conservation efforts to protect migratory birds, endorsed the establishment of the Global Waterbird Estimates Partnership, and recognized the importance of conserving river dolphins and other inland wetland indicator species.
A key outcome of COP15 was the Victoria Falls Declaration, which emphasized the need for increased resource mobilization, political commitment, and investment in wetland protection and restoration.
In her closing remarks, COP15 President and Zimbabwe's Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Evelyn Ndlovu urged all contracting parties to embed the commitments of COP15 into national policies and strategies.
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," she said.
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"This will help us simplify our collective influence on global environmental protection and improve outcomes for ecosystems and human health, while fostering innovation and shared learning for all," she added.
