Wetlands are disappearing faster than forests as Zimbabwe warns of mounting crisis

2026 National World Wetlands Day commemorations at Ditchwe Wetland in Makonde District

By Staff Reporter — Makonde, Zimbabwe

2026 National World Wetlands Day commemorations at Ditchwe Wetland in Makonde District

In a speech read on her behalf, Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu cited the Global Wetland Outlook 2025, noting that 64 percent of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 and that losses are occurring three times faster than deforestation. “Wetlands purify water, regulate floods, recharge groundwater, store carbon, support biodiversity, and sustain livelihoods,” the speech said, adding that although wetlands cover only about six percent of the Earth’s surface, they support nearly 40 percent of all plant and animal species.

Zimbabwe, the minister warned, is not immune. National assessments show only 17.63 percent of the country’s wetlands remain pristine, while 55.65 percent are moderately degraded and 26.72 percent severely degraded. Officials linked the rising incidence of flash floods in urban centres such as Harare and Chitungwiza to wetland loss driven by illegal construction and land conversion.

The commemorations, held under the global theme “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage,” highlighted indigenous practices that conserved wetlands long before modern laws. “Long before wetlands were defined scientifically, our communities understood them as matoro, mapani, zvitubu, masensa, and amaxhaphozi sacred spaces governed by cultural norms and taboos,” Ndlovu said, stressing that ancestral knowledge remains relevant and effective.

Zimbabwe’s role on the international stage adds urgency. As president of COP15 to the Convention on Wetlands, following last year’s summit in Victoria Falls, the country is expected to lead by example in integrating traditional knowledge into wetland governance. The government pointed to a policy framework that includes the Environmental Management Act, the National Wetlands Policy, a Wetlands Masterplan, and stakeholder management guidelines.

Under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and with support from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Zimbabwe has backed 92 community‑led wetland restoration projects covering 31,082 hectares, supporting livelihoods in farming, fisheries, beekeeping and water harvesting. Success stories cited at Ditchwe include restoration efforts at Ntunjambila and Gulathi wetlands in Matobo and Mazvihwa wetlands in Zvishavane, where traditional leadership and cultural norms helped revive degraded areas.

Looking ahead, Zimbabwe has committed to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded wetlands and designating five new Ramsar Sites by 2030, adding to the seven already listed. Government officials urged collective action: when a wetland is protected, they said, a source of life is preserved for future generations. The message was clear, blending satellite monitoring, GIS, and climate modelling with sacred‑site protection and community stewardship offers the best path to safeguard wetlands as living cultural landscapes that sustain livelihoods and strengthen climate resilience.