COP15 concludes with renewed commitments to restore and conserve wetlands

Zimbabwe: The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands concluded with a renewed global commitment to restore degraded freshwater ecosystems and strengthen the protection of wetland-dependent species.

Held in Zimbabwe, COP15 provided a critical platform to address emerging challenges and adopt new resolutions on wetland restoration, the protection of migratory birds and key wetland-dependent species, and the promotion of equitable wetland governance.

All proposed resolutions were adopted at COP15, signalling a global resolve to protect and restore wetlands. While negotiations were often long and complex, significant progress was made on issues emphasised by IUCN and other environmental organisations.

The guidance and interventions by International Organisation Partners to the Convention (IOPs) such as IUCN were greatly appreciated by the Convention Parties, reflecting the shared understanding that cooperation is essential to achieving common goals for nature.

Among the most notable outcomes was the adoption of a resolution on wetland restoration. Parties committed to developing or improving national legislation and policies for the restoration of degraded freshwater ecosystems, in addition to protection and sustainable management, and were invited to consider the Freshwater Challenge as a means to enhance national implementation of the Convention.

Several adopted resolutions also focus on key wetland-dependent species, including river dolphins and waterbirds. Parties agreed to strengthen action on flyway conservation to protect migratory birds and endorsed the establishment of the Global Waterbird Estimates Partnership.

A resolution on the application of specific criteria to guide the designation of Wetlands of International Importance was also adopted. These criteria rely heavily on population estimates and ecological data provided by the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM and IUCN’s global network of Specialist Groups.

Governance, inclusion and urban wetlands

Parties adopted a resolution on equitable governance and the effective conservation of wetlands as protected areas and OECMs (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures). This resolution supports more inclusive and rights-based conservation and contributes to broader international targets for area-based protection.

Additional resolutions were adopted on traditional knowledge, youth engagement and the management of urban wetlands, recognising the importance of diverse knowledge systems, intergenerational participation and the role of wetlands in urban sustainability and resilience.

Strategic planning and finance

Two of the most heavily debated topics at COP15 were the Convention on Wetlands 5th Strategic Plan and finance. After extended negotiations, Contracting Parties adopted a new strategic plan for the Convention, structured around four goals and 18 targets. The Scientific and Technical Review Panel was tasked with developing indicators to monitor progress towards those.

While a clear breakthrough on long-term financing was not reached, Parties did agree on a 4.1% increase in the core budget of the Convention. This brings the total budget for the 2025-2027 triennium to CHF 15.5 million, marking a modest but important step towards reinforcing its operational capacity.