African countries stand to gain valuable lessons from China’s achievements in wetland conservation and restoration, according to Wetlands International.
Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Julie Mulonga, Director for East Africa at Wetlands International, praised China for its leadership in protecting wetlands.
At COP15, nine Chinese cities were accredited as international wetland cities, bringing China’s total to 22, being the highest in the world. “Having nine cities accredited is a positive thing. It shows their determination to lead the way in wetland conservation and restoration,” Mulonga said. “Maybe we can learn from how they managed to get their cities accredited, that’s the processes, challenges, and successes. That information could guide other countries working toward similar goals.”
Mulonga noted that while many African countries have policies to protect wetlands, inadequate investment hampers implementation. She commended China’s strong legal framework for wetland management and suggested that Africa could benefit from China’s technology and information-sharing efforts.
“Local communities are crucial to conservation, but China’s experience offers valuable reference points. Greater global collaboration is needed to tackle the scale of the challenge,” Mulonga emphasized.
COP15, which opened Thursday, has brought together global leaders to strengthen commitments to wetland conservation, underscoring wetlands’ critical role in biodiversity, climate resilience, and ecological health.
