Story by Memory Chamisa
Zimbabwe is ready to welcome the world to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Conference to be held in the resort city of Victoria Falls next year.
As the first week of negotiations and deliberations on the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP29) ended this Saturday in Baku, the Zimbabwe delegation hosted a side event on Wetlands as part of preparations for COP15 on Wetlands to be held in July next year.
The discussions saw participants from Zimbabwe and other organisations deliberating on the significance of wetlands in removing pollutants, serving as wildlife habitats and acting as groundwater recharge systems.
“Wetlands interact with the climate system in a number of ways, particularly when there is declining rainfall. We really need to look at the potential role that wetlands play in terms of biodiversity conservation, livelihood support and also in terms of the climate system, not only in Zimbabwe but globally,” said a participant.
“As we prepare to welcome the world to Zimbabwe and the home of wetlands Victoria Falls it is imperative to note that Zimbabwe shares this with other countries and the role that this wetlands plays Wetlands also capture and store atmospheric carbondioxide, allowing it to be converted into other carbon compounds and cellulose and thus mitigating global heating,” said another.
The Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Dr Sithembiso Nyoni noted the significance of wetlands in mitigating climate change.
“Wetlands perform flood attenuation services, slowing down the flow of water and absorbing it, reducing flash floods. However, due to climate change, this service is no longer available as people are now doing farming on the natural water infrastructure. Due to poor rainfall and droughts, people are resorting to cultivation on wetlands where they believe they can harvest more in the event that there is erratic rainfall,” she explained.
Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands Ms Musonda Mumba reaffirmed her support to Zimbabwe to ensure the upcoming conference is a success.
“Wetlands play a vital role for people and the planet, providing a habitat for thousands of species and ecosystem services to coastal communities around the world. And yet, we’re losing them at a staggering rate – more than three times faster than forests, according to UNEP. Almost 90% of the world’s wetlands have been degraded in the last three centuries alone. We look forward to coming to Zimbabwe next year for COP 16 and chat the way forward in preserving Wetlands and Climate Change,” highlighted Mumba.
According to the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, wetlands cover three percent of Zimbabwe’s area, while the country has seven wetlands of international importance.
