ZIMBABWE CELEBRATES WORLD WETLANDS DAY WITH CALL TO PRESERVE CULTURAL HERITAGE

The event, themed “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage”, brought together Government officials, traditional leaders, civil society and local communities to reaffirm the importance of wetlands and the wisdom of indigenous environmental stewardship.

Ambassador Tadeous Tafirenyika Chifamba, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, delivered the keynote address on behalf of the minister, stressing Zimbabwe’s leadership as the current president of the Fifteenth Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Wetlands.

“This theme carries even greater significance as Zimbabwe currently holds the presidency of the Fifteenth Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands, a position we assumed following our successful hosting of the global conference in Victoria Falls in 2025,” said Ambassador Chifamba.

Ditchwe Wetland, located about 80 kilometres from Chinhoyi town under Chief Nemakonde, was chosen as the commemoration venue to showcase the power of traditional leadership and community action in wetland preservation.

The site is a living example of how cultural norms and local stewardship can sustain vital ecosystems.

A collaborative conservation project involving Chinhoyi University of Technology, Makonde Rural District Council, and GIZ (German Cooperation) has led to the fencing of the wetland’s core area, protection of sensitive seeps, and the development of sustainable livelihoods such as beekeeping and community gardens.

“Chinhoyi University managed to secure some funding from GIZ, the German corporation, and together with the Makonde Rural District Council, the councillors and the communities, they are now working towards the protection of this wetland,” said Julia Pierini, Chief Executive Officer of BirdLife Zimbabwe.

“The bees can create honey and then this honey can be commercialised to develop an income for the community. So it’s a win-win situation.”

Ambassador Chifamba highlighted the urgent need for action, revealing that only 17,63 percent of Zimbabwe’s wetlands remain pristine, while 55,65 percent are moderately degraded and 26,72 percent are severely degraded.

He warned that the increasing flash floods in urban areas such as Harare and Chitungwiza are a direct consequence of wetland loss.

“The increasing flash floods in our urban areas, particularly in Harare and Chitungwiza, are a direct consequence of wetland loss,” he warned, urging citizens to refrain from constructing on wetlands.

The Government, through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and under the National Development Strategy 1, has supported 92 community-led wetland restoration projects covering 31,082 hectares.

“We have just come to this wetland that is protected or preserved using cultural means, which is actually the theme for this day,” said EMA spokesperson Ms Amkela Sidange.

“And this is just to encourage everyone all over the country to say, look here, our wetlands, they are part of our heritage.”

As COP15 president, Zimbabwe has committed to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded wetlands and designating five new Ramsar Sites by 2030, adding to the current seven.

These efforts align with the global urgency highlighted in the Global Wetland Outlook 2025, which reports that 64 percent of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900, with wetlands being lost three times faster than forests.

Ambassador Chifamba emphasised the enduring value of indigenous knowledge:

“These systems of indigenous knowledge are not relics of the past; they are sophisticated, time-tested environmental management practices that have sustained our ecosystems for generations,” he said. “When we protect a wetland, we protect a source of life. When we honour traditional knowledge, we honour our ancestors and secure our children’s inheritance.”

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