The Ramsar Convention seeks to promote the protection of wetlands of international importance, and Zimbabwe has seven Ramsar sites. Each contracting party to the Ramsar Convention designates wetlands of international importance, which are then registered with the Ramsar Secretariat.
Currently, there are 173 contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention, with Zimbabwe having taken over the Presidency in July this year.
This article will focus on wetland protection in Japan and key lessons for Zimbabwe.
Japan became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention in 1980 and designated Kushiro Shitsugen as its first Ramsar site.
The Asian country hosted the Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP5) to the Ramsar Convention in Kushiro in 1993, and the event led to increased interest in wetlands protection in Japan and the rest of Asia. This helped raise awareness of the objectives of the Ramsar Convention.
This led to Japan advancing registration of domestic Ramsar sites, and by 2025, following the designation of Lake Inawashiro as a Ramsar site, the total number of Ramsar sites in Japan reached 54.
Policies for wetland conservation
The descriptions of wetlands in the “National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of Japan 2023-2030 (NBSAP 2023-2030) are also recognised as National Wetlands Policies that the Ramsar Convention requires Contracting parties to develop.
As a measure relevant to the convention under the NBSAP 2023-2030, the government will promote the conservation and wise use of flora and fauna inhabiting the Ramsar Sites and will also, in terms of further improving the quality of the Ramsar sites, keep track of the current status of all the registered Ramsar sites and update the Ramsar Information sheets (RISs).
Therefore, the government will, in collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, local governments, local communities and residents, NGOs, experts, youth, and others, promote monitoring and synthesising information on the Ramsar sites, wetland restoration, sharing of good practices, and public awareness activities.
Furthermore, for wetlands that meet the criteria of wetlands of international importance, and by designating Ramsar sites, it would facilitate conservation and other efforts by the local community. The government will promote the designation of such wetlands after local communities agree with its designation and the requirements for the designation are met.
Diverse Stakeholder Participation and Awareness Raising
Japanese Municipalities with Ramsar Sites form a network called the “Domestic Committee for Ramsar Sites related Municipalities in Japan”.
They conduct regular meetings to promote local-level wetland conservation activities and contribute to the appropriate management of Ramsar sites by encouraging information exchange and cooperation between cities, towns, and villages.
At the prefecture level, several prefectures include wetlands in their designation of conservation areas as wildlife protection areas, nature conservation areas, and natural parks, and/or formulate their own environmental legislation and projects for wetlands.
The conservation and wise use of wetlands cannot be achieved without the understanding and participation of local people who live near these wetlands. Many Ramsar Sites in Japan serve as examples of cooperation and collaboration among various stakeholders, promoting local-level activities.
On Wetland City Accreditation, the accredited municipalities are expected to improve their awareness, establish local branding, and promote further wetland conservation and wise use.
International Cooperation
International cooperation, by sharing experiences and technologies, is vital for meeting the goals of conservation and wise use of wetlands. Japan is engaged in various international cooperation activities to make active contributions as a developed Asian country.
Some of the international cooperation activities by Japan include the following initiatives:
* Financial assistance and technology transfer for the conservation of wetlands
* Wetland Survey and Information Exchanges
* Bilateral efforts for the conservation of migratory birds
* Sister Site Arrangements across the East Asian- Australasian Flyway
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Environmental and Human Rights lawyer, Fiona Iliff, said opportunities for wetlands protection include full domestication of the Ramsar International Convention on the protection of wetlands, strengthening Zimbabwe’s Environmental Impact Assessment process, strengthening stakeholder consultation, gazetting wetlands as ecologically sensitive areas, and strengthening environmental justice mechanisms.
She said some of the opportunities that come with Zimbabwe taking up the presidency of the Ramsar Convention include enhanced capacity and commitment by the Ministry of Environment, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and local authorities towards wetlands protection.
“There is an opportunity for enhanced international cooperation around wetlands protection, including monitoring, reporting, mapping, and integrated planning.
There are also opportunities for enhanced commitments and international funding support for restoration and protection of wetlands and conservation areas, for example, under the Freshwater Challenge. Other opportunities include commitments made by the government, which include the Wetlands or Biodiversity Act and improving Environmental Impact Assessments frameworks and regulations, and enforcement of environmental laws,” said Iliff.
A Conservation Officer with Monavale Vlei, an internationally recognised wetland under the Ramsar Convention, Jimmy Muropa, said community stewardship is key in protecting wetlands.
“Community stewardship in wetlands protection is very important in that it provides the ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ on the ground for immediate action to be taken if any immediate threats or challenges are faced. This has been a success in Monavale as a committee that specifically deals with the wetland has readily engaged with relevant authorities in dealing with issues that might arise,” said Muropa.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Provincial Manager for Harare, Leon Mutungamiri, reiterated that post COP15, community stewardship is key in protecting and restoring wetlands.
“The key lessons and way forward for Harare province is for communities to come up with wetland restoration and conservation projects, and come up with community wetland protection initiatives. It is important to include the youths to ensure sustainable wetland management,” said Mutungamiri.
The Chief Executive Officer of Birdlife Zimbabwe, Julia Pierini, said her organisation stands prepared to assist the government of Zimbabwe’s efforts in protecting wetlands.
“For Zimbabwe, Ramsar COP15 provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The convention has only been held in Africa once before, and Birdlife Zimbabwe showed up in force to showcase our work and engage in national conversations on wetlands and birds. We look forward to supporting the Zimbabwean government through their Presidency to champion actions for wetland protection and restoration at home and abroad,” said Pierrini.
An independent environmental consultant, Rob Cunliffe, said, “There is hope that there will be some form of a legacy project involving government, international partners, and local partners, and which hopefully will result in some meaningful gains in terms of strengthened protection of wetlands.
“As local partners, we look forward to supporting the government in its future implementation of the Ramsar Convention and which we hope will address the various concerns as laid out in the policy brief.”
Post published in: Business