Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will convene at Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls in July to adopt resolutions for the protection of delicate ecosystems globally.
The 15th meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (COP15) will bring together representatives from 172 states from 23 to 31 July.
The conference on the international treaty, more commonly known as the Ramsar Convention, takes place every three years, and is the convention’s highest decision-making platform.
Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present close to the soil’s surface seasonally or year-round. Wetlands are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems and provide a number of goods and services to human beings, including reducing downstream flooding risks, providing water for animals and livestock, providing a habitat for fish and creating breathtaking views for water-bird lovers. They also provide grass for thatching and play a role in climate regulation.
The previous conference, which took the form of a hybrid event in China and Switzerland, came up with the Wuhan Declaration which “sets out key principles for integrating wetlands ecosystems in all frameworks and initiatives for people and nature” and includes commitments to take appropriate and urgent measures towards halting global wetlands loss.
Some of the threats facing wetlands globally are climate change, water harvesting and unsustainable development practices. Kenneth //Uiseb, the focal point for the Ramsar Convention in the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, said restoring degraded wetlands has many ecological, economic and social benefits.
These include providing clean water to communities and creating viable habitats for animals which may become an important tourism attractions. A number of countries in southern Africa, including Namibia, are party to the Ramsar Convention and have made strides to implement its provisions at national levels.
Since becoming party to the convention in 1995, Namibia has designated five wetlands for inclusion in the convention’s list: the Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour, Etosha Pan, the Walvis Bay Lagoon and the Bwabwata-Lower Okavango Area.
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