China’s significant role in global wetland preservation has been spotlighted ahead of a major international conference. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, praised China on Wednesday for its strides in wetland management and its guidance in global conservation efforts.
Speaking before the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), set to open Thursday in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Mumba highlighted China’s achievements. “Most of the wetland cities that are accredited in the world are in China,” she said. “There has been a demonstration of the intersection between ecological and developmental coexistence.”
Running from Wednesday to July 31 under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future,” COP15 brings together representatives from 172 governments. The conference aims to strengthen international commitments for wetland conservation and emphasize the vital role wetlands play in sustaining ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Mumba noted that when China hosted COP14 in November 2022, the Chinese government had already adopted a wetland law, showcasing the country’s commitment. “There was deep commitment and connection to make sure that the commonization and the lessons from China are really demonstrated to the world, and the world can learn from that,” she said.
China, which held the presidency and served on the Standing Committee at COP14, provided leadership in ensuring that all draft resolutions were addressed and delivered promptly, Mumba added.
Thanks to China’s efforts in raising visibility, interest in global wetland conservation has spiked in recent years. Mumba expressed hope that China would share its experiences with other countries. “What I want to see more is how China can share with other contracting parties,” she said. “A lot of countries are really struggling with the wetland inventory mechanism, data collection, and how that data is used across all sectors of government.”
“If you’re protecting something and there is no enforcement mechanism, you need that enforcement mechanism,” Mumba noted. “China has done that very well, and those lessons can be shared with other countries so they can learn from China.”
