Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
THE Government has successfully supported 92 community-led wetland restoration projects covering a vast 31 082 hectares across the country, a significant boost to environmental conservation and rural livelihoods.
This achievement, realised under the National Development Strategy One (NDS1) and spearheaded by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), is breathing new life into critical ecosystems while directly supporting farming, fisheries, beekeeping, and water harvesting for local communities.
This was revealed by the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Eveline Ndlovu yesterday ahead of the 2026 World Wetlands Day commemorations scheduled for February 2.
Dr Ndlovu, who also presides over the global presidency of the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention (COP15), outlined a future of even more ambitious national targets.
“Under National Development Strategy One (NDS1), and through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Government has supported 92 community-led wetland restoration projects, covering 31 082 hectares and supporting livelihoods such as farming, fisheries, beekeeping and water harvesting,” said Dr Ndlovu.
She emphasised that this tangible progress has been anchored by the indispensable custodianship of traditional leaders, blending modern policy with indigenous stewardship.
The projects exemplify a practical fusion of national strategy and local action, turning degraded wetlands into hubs of biodiversity and economic activity.
Highlighting the urgency of such work, Dr Ndlovu cited the Global Wetland Outlook for 2025, which warns that up to 20 percent of the world’s remaining wetlands could be lost by 2050 without intervention.
In Zimbabwe, only 17.63 percent of wetlands remain pristine.
“The increasing flash floods in our urban areas are a direct consequence of wetland loss,” she said.
She described wetlands as natural sponges that regulate water flow and recharge groundwater.
Building on the current success, Dr Ndlovu announced Zimbabwe’s bold commitments on the international stage.
“As the COP15 President, Zimbabwe has committed to restore 250 000 hectares of degraded wetlands and designating five new Ramsar Sites by 2030,” she declared.
This commitment positions Zimbabwe as a proactive leader in global wetland conservation, aiming to significantly scale up restoration efforts and secure the highest international recognition for its most valuable wetland sites.
The move from 31 082 hectares restored to a target of 250 000 hectares represents a nearly eight-fold increase in ambition, signalling a new chapter of accelerated environmental action.
Dr Ndlovu said achieving these goals requires a united national effort.
“Achieving this requires collective action from all sectors, Government, private sector, civil society, and communities,” she said.
She called for a continued partnership to protect these vital ecosystems.
This year’s World Wetlands Day theme, “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage,” finds perfect resonance in Zimbabwe’s approach.
Dr Ndlovu celebrated the indigenous knowledge that has long protected areas known as matoro, mapani, zvitubu, masensa, and amaxhaphozi.
She highlighted thriving examples like the Ditchwe Wetland Forest in Makonde, the national commemoration site, Ntunjambila and Gulathi Wetlands in Matobo, and community initiatives in Mazvihwa, Zvishavane, as proof that cultural values are powerful engines for ecological restoration.
The national commemoration will be held at the Ditchwe Wetland Forest in Makonde District, with parallel events across all provinces and districts, underscoring the decentralised, nationwide embrace of the cause.
Dr Ndlovu called on the media and all citizens to champion the cause of wetlands.
As Zimbabwe strides forward under its COP15 presidency, the fusion of community-led restoration, traditional wisdom, and bold national commitments is crafting a sustainable blueprint where reviving wetlands means securing water, food, culture, and resilience for generations to come.
