No water without wetlands, farmers warned

FOR farmers grappling with erratic rains and parched boreholes, the message from UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is clear: land cannot be restored without water, and water cannot be secured without healthy wetlands.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) describes wetlands as the nation’s natural water infrastructure.

“They store water during the wet season, release it gradually in the dry months, recharge groundwater, reduce floods and droughts, and sustain the pastures, crops and livestock upon which rural livelihoods depend.

Speaking at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, held from 17–28 August 2026, EMA’s Environmental Education and Publicity Manager, Ms Amkela Sidange, said the conference theme — “From Victoria Falls to Ulaanbaatar: Wetlands as the Heart of Integrated Land and Water Resources” — reunites water and land in policy and practice.

“Parties agreed there can be no successful land restoration without water security, no lasting water security without healthy ecosystems, and no long-term resilience without protecting and restoring wetlands,” said Ms Sidange.

Globally, she noted, around 411 million hectares of wetlands have been lost since 1970, with many of those remaining in poor condition.

For Zimbabwe’s communal, A1 and A2 farmers, and irrigation schemes, that loss translates into dwindling dams, drying vleis, reduced yields, and increased livestock deaths during drought years.

“Delegates at COP17 shared practical examples. Tajikistan called for cooperation in shared river basins. Türkiye demonstrated how wetland restoration can be embedded in national water and climate strategies. Brazil emphasised safeguarding groundwater recharge areas, springs and river systems that sustain farms downstream,” she said.

“For Zimbabwe, wetlands, rivers and floodplains remain central to agriculture, livestock and food security.

Ms Sidange highlighted that government already has tools available to farmers and councils: the Wetlands Master Plan, the National Wetland Policy, and the National Wetland Utilisation

Guidelines. In addition, wetlands are being gazetted as ecologically sensitive areas.

As the current President of COP15 of the Convention on Wetlands, Zimbabwe is also working towards gazetting at least five new Ramsar Sites during this triennium.

“COP17’s main thrust was to close the gap between commitments and action. Delegates urged countries to translate agreements into funded programmes with clear targets and monitoring.

Crucially, wetlands must be treated as investments in water security, climate resilience and food security, not merely as conservation projects,” said Ms Sidange.

“For farming communities, that means three priorities. Protect what remains — avoid cultivation, brick moulding and settlement in wetlands and their buffer zones.

“Healthy dambos provide late-season grazing and water for gardens. Restore degraded areas — re-vegetate, control gully erosion, and allow natural recharge. Restored wetlands retain water longer into winter, supporting wheat, vegetables and livestock. And plan collectively.”

She stressed that a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is essential, with the private sector, traditional leaders, Agritex, EMA, rural district councils and farmers’ groups working in concert.

She added that healthy wetlands underpin healthy landscapes, secure water and resilient communities. Protecting and restoring them is not only an environmental duty but also an investment in Zimbabwe’s future and in the productivity of its farms.

As climate variability intensifies, farmers who safeguard upstream wetlands are likely to enjoy more reliable water downstream. COP17’s message is unequivocal: wetlands must be placed at the centre of land restoration, climate adaptation and food production strategies.

“Wetlands should increasingly be regarded as strategic investments in water security, climate resilience, food security, biodiversity and livelihoods, rather than simply as conservation costs.

“This requires stronger partnerships among governments, development institutions, financial organisations, the private sector, civil society and local communities,” said Ms Sidange.

“The discussions also underscored the importance of science, data and community participation.

“Reliable information on wetland conditions, water systems, and land degradation and restoration outcomes is vital for guiding investment and measuring progress.

“Local communities, including women, must be meaningfully involved in planning, restoration and sustainable management. The journey from Victoria Falls to Ulaanbaatar therefore represents more than a link between two international meetings. It symbolises a broader transition from commitments to cooperation, investment, implementation and measurable results.”