Story by Yolanda Moyo
GOVERNMENT has underscored Zimbabwe’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development as the country participates at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia.
The CBD, which kicked off this Monday and runs until Friday next week in Cali, Colombia, has brought together over 190 countries to finalise outstanding issues from COP15.
The issues are related to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve a nature-positive world by 2050.
Zimbabwe, as a party to the United Nations CBD, has made significant strides in safeguarding its rich biodiversity, recognising the critical role it plays in supporting human well-being and economic development.
“We have the responsibility of stewarding the resources especially bio diversity resources and ensure that we have balanced ecosystems and mechanisms to fight species extinction. As a country, you may be aware that we are leaders in biodiversity conservation, for example wildlife, we have maintained healthy expanding populations. If you look at the work in the protected areas and we are looking for room to grow,” Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Tedious Chifamba said.
Ambassador Chifamba further highlighted the Ministry’s ongoing work on developing a comprehensive National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), a document that will outline specific goals and targets for biodiversity conservation in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe is committed to playing a leading role in global biodiversity conservation. The NBSAP is expected to provide a roadmap for the country’s efforts to protect its rich biodiversity resources and contribute to global biodiversity targets. We will be doing consultations countrywide to ensure that everyone participates in the planning process,” he added.
Zimbabwe is among approximately a third of countries that have submitted their national biodiversity targets in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at COP 15 in 2022.
The COP 16 delegation from Zimbabwe is championing negotiations on sustainable wildlife management, resource mobilisation, and financial modelling for conservation efforts.
