REGIONAL TRADITIONAL LEADERS UNITE TO SECURE RAMSAR PROTECTION FOR ZAMBEZI RIVER’S SOURCE

The spectacular Victoria Falls recently played host to an unprecedented gathering of traditional leaders from across its vast hydrographic system. For the first time, kings, chiefs, and elders from the source of the river in Angola, through Zambia, and down to the Falls in Zimbabwe, convened to champion the protection of the river’s birthplace: the Angolan Highlands Water Tower (AHWT).

This historic gathering marked the official submission of the application to designate the AHWT as a Ramsar Site—a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The effort is spearheaded by the Wild Bird Trust, which has spent over ten years embedding itself in the Lisima landscape of Angola, working alongside the local people whose traditional ecological knowledge is proving invaluable.

“Through ten years of listening and working alongside the people living in the Lisima landscape, who carry unique traditional knowledge of the land, we’ve been guided to biodiversity hotspots,” stated the Wild Bird Trust on its Official Facebook Page. This deep engagement has led to the description of 73 species new to science, with a potential of at least 275 more waiting to be categorized. The local communities have also revealed remarkable source lakes and intricate methodologies behind intentional fire regimes, underscoring that people are, and have been for centuries, the true custodians of this vital landscape.

The choice of Victoria Falls, a Ramsar Site itself and a globally recognised symbol of the Zambezi’s power, was profoundly symbolic. It served as a powerful reminder that the ecological health of the Falls is intrinsically linked to the pristine source wetlands thousands of kilometres upstream in the Angolan Highlands. The traditional leaders, who carry centuries of anthropological and ecological knowledge, are now formally connected by the water they share, uniting their voices to protect their natural heritage.

The designation of the AHWT as a Ramsar Site will recognize its immense ecological significance as a wetland and formally acknowledge the central role of local communities and their traditions in its preservation. This marks the beginning of a deeper, collaborative dialogue carried forward by the unifying flow of the Zambezi River. Securing this status is an important step in safeguarding the headwaters that feed not just the majestic Victoria Falls, but a lifeline for Southern and Central Africa.