Wetlands Protection: Key lessons for Zimbabwe from Japan | Best African News Online

Zimbabwe’s assumption of the Presidency of the Ramsar Convention in July marks a pivotal moment to reset national ambition on wetland protection. With seven Ramsar sites already recognized and 173 contracting parties worldwide, the country can leverage its new role to mobilize policy reform, finance, and community stewardship. Japan’s decades-long experience offers a compelling blueprint for how to turn international commitments into practical, local impact.

Why wetlands should be at the center of national planning

Wetlands underpin water security for cities and farms, buffer communities from floods and droughts, store carbon, and support biodiversity and livelihoods. Yet, urban expansion, poorly enforced Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and weak land-use controls continue to degrade these systems. As Ramsar President, Zimbabwe can set a regional example by aligning conservation, restoration, and wise use with economic development and climate resilience.

Japan’s approach: from early adoption to nationwide stewardship

Japan joined the Ramsar Convention in 1980 and designated Kushiro Shitsugen as its first site. Hosting COP5 in Kushiro in 1993 catalyzed domestic momentum, broadening public understanding of wetlands across Asia. By 2025, Japan had registered 54 Ramsar sites, including Lake Inawashiro—an evolution driven by clear policy, strong local networks, and international cooperation.

1) Strong policy backbone tied to biodiversity goals

• Japan integrates wetland conservation into its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2023–2030), effectively serving as its National Wetlands Policy.
• All Ramsar sites are regularly monitored, with Ramsar Information Sheets updated to reflect changing conditions and management needs.
• Cross-government coordination—ministries, prefectures, municipalities—partners with communities, NGOs, experts, and youth to collect data, restore degraded areas, and share good practices.
• New Ramsar designations proceed with local consent, ensuring community ownership and practical implementation.

2) Local government networks and Wetland City momentum

• Municipalities managing Ramsar sites meet routinely through a domestic network to exchange knowledge and improve site management.
• Prefectures embed wetlands in protected area systems and pass their own laws and programs to safeguard critical habitats.
• Wetland City Accreditation elevates local branding and public awareness, encouraging responsible tourism, education, and nature-positive business models.

3) International cooperation with tangible outcomes

• Targeted financial support and technology transfer for conservation and restoration.
• Coordinated surveys and open data to inform adaptive management.
• Bilateral agreements to protect migratory birds and their habitats.
• Sister-site arrangements along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway to share science and conservation strategies.

What Zimbabwe can adapt—starting now

• Fully domesticate Ramsar obligations into national law and policy, with explicit protection for wetlands as ecologically sensitive areas.
• Upgrade EIA procedures: stronger screening, transparent public consultation, and robust compliance monitoring.
• Mandate up-to-date inventories, mapping, and risk assessments for all wetlands, integrating them into land-use plans and water resource management.
• Promote Wetland City Accreditation for eligible municipalities to drive public engagement, education, and investment.
• Build community stewardship committees for each priority wetland to serve as “eyes and ears,” report threats, and co-lead restoration.
• Strengthen environmental justice mechanisms so communities can challenge illegal conversions and demand remediation.
• Use the Ramsar Presidency to unlock international cooperation, science partnerships, and financing for restoration under global initiatives such as freshwater and biodiversity programs.
• Invest in youth-led citizen science for long-term monitoring and climate-ready careers.

An eight-point action plan for 2025–2026

1. Adopt a National Wetlands Policy aligned with the biodiversity strategy, requiring regular updates of Ramsar Information Sheets and transparent site status reporting.
2. Launch a public dashboard for all wetlands showing water levels, biodiversity indicators, and compliance alerts.
3. Pilot Wetland City Accreditation in municipalities with significant marshes or vleis, pairing branding with concrete conservation targets.
4. Create Community Stewardship Grants to fund restoration—rewetting drained areas, removing invasive species, replanting native vegetation, and managing erosion.
5. Forge sister-site partnerships along African and global flyways to protect migratory bird habitats and exchange restoration techniques.
6. Reform EIAs using the mitigation hierarchy: avoid high-value wetlands, minimize impacts where alternatives don’t exist, restore degraded zones, and enforce offsets only as a last resort with strict equivalence and permanence.
7. Establish a national restoration pipeline with shovel-ready projects that align with climate adaptation plans and catchment management.
8. Mobilize finance from domestic budgets, green bonds, climate funds, and philanthropy, prioritizing projects with measurable outcomes and community benefits.

How to measure success

• Area of wetlands legally secured or restored, with verified increases in water retention and groundwater recharge.
• Improved biodiversity indicators—migratory bird counts, amphibian presence, and native vegetation cover.
• Zero net loss of wetlands within Ramsar sites and a demonstrable reduction in illegal encroachment elsewhere.
• Annual publication of RIS updates and compliance reports.
• Active participation of community groups and youth in monitoring and governance.

Zimbabwe’s leadership of the Ramsar Convention arrives at a time of mounting climate pressures and water stress. The Japanese experience shows that durable progress rests on three pillars: a clear national policy framework, empowered local governments and communities, and sustained international cooperation. By acting quickly on these lessons—codifying protections, elevating local stewardship, and investing in data-driven restoration—Zimbabwe can turn its presidency into a lasting legacy for people, nature, and the economy.