COP15 brings hope for waterbirds and river dolphins

The 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP15), focused on the future of wetlands, is drawing to a close in Zimbabwe. The event featured discussions on funding, waterbird conservation, and the role of traditional communities in protecting these ecosystems. The main goal of the conference is to adopt a new Strategic Plan for 2025–2034. Among the highlights was the recognition of Poland – the city of Poznań received the Wetland City accreditation.

Ambitious goals of COP15

The summit, held in Victoria Falls, brought together representatives from over 170 countries that have signed the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat. Participants discussed 25 proposed resolutions, including a plan for regional initiatives for 2025–2028. One of the main priorities is integrating wetland conservation into national climate plans.

Amid calls for the global protection of wetlands, concrete proposals emerged aiming to fulfill the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). These include:
• strengthening national efforts to protect migratory corridors for waterbirds;
• recognizing river dolphins as a key species for wetlands in South America and Asia;
• improving the quality and timeliness of data on waterbird population numbers for the upcoming edition of Waterbird Population Estimates (WPE) 2027.

Delegates also emphasized the importance of combining new technologies with traditional knowledge for the protection and management of wetlands, particularly within the framework of so-called Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). These refer to areas not formally protected as parks or reserves but still contributing to biodiversity conservation.

On Monday, a key resolution was adopted to establish the Global Waterbird Estimates Partnership (GWEP) – an international partnership tasked with overseeing robust monitoring of waterbirds and preparing future editions of the WPE reports.

During COP15, the Ramsar Awards were also presented to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to wetland conservation. Among the awardees was the Wanda system project from Panama, which engages local communities in collecting riverborne waste, effectively helping prevent pollution in the Bay of Panama.

The war’s impact on wetlands

A day before COP15 began, the Russian State Duma unanimously voted to withdraw from the Ramsar Convention, citing the organization’s alleged politicization and the inability to use its mechanisms to protect domestic waterbird species. Analysts warn that as a result of this decision, the concept of wetlands could vanish entirely from Russian policy, since it is not currently regulated by national law. The potential environmental loss would be globally significant – peatlands alone cover 1.8 million km² in the Russian Federation.

Meanwhile, one of the key topics in Zimbabwe is a resolution acknowledging the damage inflicted on Ukrainian wetlands by Russian aggression. Diplomats from Kyiv are calling for international monitoring and an assessment of the ecological losses. However, behind closed doors, there are growing concerns about the politicization of the Ramsar Convention. Reaching a consensus on Ukrainian wetlands remains elusive.

Poznań recognized for its wetland efforts

COP15 also featured a notable Polish achievement. The city of Poznań was officially granted the Wetland City Accreditation, recognizing its commitment to wetland-friendly urban development. The accreditation committee praised the city’s efforts in spatial planning, education, and awareness-raising – particularly the establishment of ecological sites along the Bogdanka River and initiatives related to the Żurawiniec peat bog reserve.

We previously reported in Wodne Sprawy on Poznań’s recognition and the local government’s efforts in wetland conservation and restoration. COP15 provided the opportunity for the formal presentation of the certificate – the first of its kind awarded to a Polish city. Hopefully, this success will inspire other local governments to follow suit.

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main photo: Ashley Inguanta/Unsplash