The ripple effect of expanding wildlife-based wetland economies - outcomes of Ramsar COP15

AWEI at Ramsar COP15

The 15th Ramsar Conference of the Parties (COP15) took place in the newly accredited Wetland City of Victoria Falls, locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders), between 23 and 31 July 2025. The convention ended with fresh resolutions, which included, amongst others, the adoption of the Victoria Falls Declaration, a high-level commitment to accelerate wetland conservation, restoration, financing, and cooperation and discussions on wetland inventories, Indigenous knowledge, climate adaptation, financing, and the Convention’s strategic plan for 2025 to 2034. There was also a dedicated session to deliberate on the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 with an inclination towards valuing, conserving, restoring and financing wetlands, which emphasises the urgent need to recognise the role of responsible expanding wildlife-based wetland economies as a crucial source of livelihoods, i.e. water and food security, climate stability, biodiversity, and community resilience. In this short piece, we reflect on key discussions at the conference with those focused on livelihoods, financing and wise use, with a specific focus on AWEI at COP15. 

The true measure of this conference will not be found in its eloquent text, but in whether we can translate its vision into tangible, transformative action on the ground. The African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) was actively involved at COP15 to advance and facilitate discussions on the way business and industry could be at the centre of wetlands protection. 

AWEI’s policy brief highlighted key  Wildlife-Based-Enterprise-in-SADC-Ramsar-Sites, which was widely shared via email and also among the attendees. This is in support of COP15’s Doc 23.20, a Draft resolution on promoting sustainable lifestyles for the wise use of wetlands. It includes a commitment to “create enabling conditions… to enhance the wise use of wetlands,” and invites “the private sector and other stakeholders to promote and enhance cooperation… that enable the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles, including sustainable living within wetland conservation and wise use interventions.” The mandate from Victoria Falls is clear: we must move beyond preservation for its own sake and strategically scale up a thriving, inclusive wildlife economy based in our vital wetlands.

On 25 July, Tariro Kamuti facilitated a side event titled “Collaborating for Wetland Preservation: The Community Guardianship Approach and the Sexaxa Village Model”. This side event brought together  Wildlife Conservation Action (WCA), Sexaxa Women’s Enterprise, and Green Botswana Trust to share real-life, community-based solutions for protecting wetlands. It focused on two inspiring grassroots examples of Community Guardianship in Zimbabwe and the Sexaxa Village Model in Botswana. The session was very interactive from the outset. The panellists took turns asking each other questions about each model before interventions from the floor. The WCA empowers local people, known as community guardians, to lead wildlife conservation efforts in areas such as the Nyaminyami District near Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. These guardians help reduce human-wildlife conflict and encourage sustainable practices. The Sexaxa village model demonstrates how local women in Sexaxa village have successfully integrated wetland conservation with eco-friendly businesses, including tourism, sustainable fishing, and education. It’s a great example of how people and nature can coexist in harmony. Both models show how local people are leading conservation efforts while also building sustainable livelihoods. The session encouraged open discussion about inclusive conservation (where everyone, especially locals, plays a part), traditional knowledge in conservation, and working together across countries to protect shared ecosystems. The dialogue revolved around inclusive conservation, the integration of traditional knowledge, and the values of cross-border collaboration in protecting wetland ecosystems.

On 26 July, Wiseman Ndlovu facilitated a side event titled “The Role of the Private Sector in Wetland Protection” The event focused on two case studies. Nature Tanzania focused on Lake Natron protection. Lake Natron, a vital Ramsar Site in Tanzania, is the exclusive breeding ground for over 75% of the world's Lesser Flamingos and is crucial for the Maasai communities, whose lives and culture are deeply intertwined with the lake. A significant threat has re-emerged with Ngaresero Valley Company Limited's renewed interest in soda-ash mining in Wosiwosi village within the Lake Natron Ramsar Site. In another incident, a recent tailings dam collapse at a copper mine in Zambia released toxic waste into the Kafue River, resulting in significant environmental damage and affecting nearby communities. The discussion focused on how the private sector can contribute to wetland degradation. How can the private sector protect wetlands? The case studies demonstrated that the private sector can develop businesses around protected wetland areas to support their conservation, as observed in Tanzania, where the main business in the lake centres on tourism, including bird-watching, hotels, and safaris, among others. To the contrary, businesses could use extra resources within lakes. However, the practices currently appear unsustainable. The discussion emphasised that responsible business practices can safeguard wetlands while supporting sustainable wildlife economies. Wetlands sustain biodiversity, tourism, and local livelihoods, making their protection essential for long-term economic resilience. Nature Tanzania’s advocacy empowers communities near Lake Natron as land custodians, while ZELO’s ESG program promotes eco-friendly business models. 

The timing and location of this COP could not have been more significant. By bringing the world's attention to the heart of Southern Africa, the conference has created an unprecedented opportunity to align the Ramsar Convention's goals with the region's ambitious agenda. SADC's ground-breaking Wildlife-Based Economy Strategy Framework is no longer a parallel policy track; it is now intrinsically linked to the global wetland agenda. The central, unifying concept is the "wise use" of wetlands. This is not a call for hands-off protectionism, but a sophisticated summons to integrate the multiple values, functions, and services of wetlands into our economic and social fabric, benefiting all generations. The deliberations at COP15 have underscored the importance of conserving SADC's wetlands, not merely as an environmental objective, but as a fundamental strategy for sustainable economic development across the region.

Expanding wetland-based wildlife economies in the SADC region

This vision of a wildlife-based economy is particularly potent for wetlands, which often encompass both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The AWEI brief powerfully illustrates this through the concept of the value chain—a cascade of economic activity triggered by a single interaction with a wetland. Consider the example of a tourist visiting Botswana’s Okavango Delta System. Their payment for a safari package does not stop at the lodge; it ripples outwards, supporting the farmer who supplied the food, the mechanic who serviced the vehicle, the artisan who made the crafts in the gift shop, and the pilot who flew them in. This intricate web of upstream and downstream businesses generates employment and enhances livelihoods far beyond the wetland's edge, demonstrating how conservation can become a powerful engine for inclusive regional growth.

For SADC nations, COP15 was a chance to showcase both the ecological significance and the socio-economic potential of their vast wetland resources, which stretch across the Okavango Delta, the Zambezi River Basin, and numerous other crucial ecosystems. However, it was also a stark reminder of the pressures these wetlands face: unsustainable agriculture, pollution, poaching, and the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. The SADC region is already rich in examples of such enterprises, showcasing a diverse portfolio of opportunities waiting to be scaled. In the Okavango, premier safari companies like Wilderness, &Beyond, and Great Plains Conservation have built a high-end, low-density tourism model that funds conservation directly. In Zambia’s Bangweulu Swamps, the fishery supports up to 90,000 people, with Community Resource Boards partnering with African Parks to co-manage the resource, ensuring its sustainability while feeding commercial markets in the Copperbelt and beyond.

The innovation extends beyond traditional tourism and fishing. In Mozambique's Zambezi Delta, a large Japanese firm, Sumitomo Corporation, is pioneering a large-scale mangrove restoration project designed to generate internationally tradeable carbon credits, creating co-benefits for wildlife and coastal protection. In the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, the Lets'eng-la-Letsie wetland offers the potential for certified wild harvesting of medicinal plants like African geranium and African wormwood, addressing over-exploitation through the creation of sustainable enterprises. In the host country, Zimbabwe, adventure tourism companies like Shockwave Adventures have turned the thrilling rapids of the Zambezi below the falls into a world-class economic asset, creating local employment while promoting ecologically sustainable practices. And in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Parc national des Mangroves, the harvesting of shrimp and oysters provides up to 90% of household income for local fishers, turning the wetland's natural bounty into a means for food security, healthcare, and education.

Despite these successes, the corridor discussions at COP15 revealed significant hurdles. The primary challenge remains the chasm between policy and practice. The newly adopted Victoria Falls Declaration, like the global frameworks it builds upon—the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the CITES Strategic Vision—provides the enabling environment. However, translating these international commitments to the national and local levels requires concerted effort.

Roadmap to scale enterprise opportunities in wetlands

This is where the SADC framework provides a tangible roadmap for scaling up these enterprise opportunities. It calls for Member States, in collaboration with entrepreneurs, to identify and resource innovative value chains, build capacity for sustainable processing, provide direct support to local communities and SMEs, and develop marketing campaigns for regional and international markets. The key is to create an environment that both protects and regulates wildlife resources while simultaneously enabling their sustainable use within the economy. A key development was the official launch of the Southern African Ramsar Regional Initiative (SARRI), which is a regional effort to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in Southern Africa and Indian Ocean Island States, all members of SADC. SARRI, overseen by SADC and hosted by the IUCN,  aims to enhance cooperation and capacity-building with a “mission to support a wide range of conservation and development opportunities in wetland landscapes across the SADC region” and there is a “need for collaborative efforts to address pressing environmental challenges while promoting socio-economic development”.

SADC's wetlands – from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River Basin – are biodiversity hotspots, critical water resources, and integral to the livelihoods of millions. Yet, they face a barrage of threats, including agricultural expansion, unsustainable resource extraction, pollution, and the intensifying impacts of climate change. 

Key priorities identified

Funding for wetland restoration and management: A central sticking point was the need for significantly increased financial resources to support wetland conservation initiatives, particularly in developing nations. SADC advocated for innovative financing mechanisms, including debt-for-nature swaps, private sector investment, and payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes. Discussions highlighted the need to bridge the funding gap to achieve ambitious restoration targets.

Integrating Wetlands into National Development Plans: SADC emphasised the importance of mainstreaming wetland conservation into national development policies and sectoral planning. This includes incorporating wetland values into economic assessments, promoting sustainable agriculture practices, and developing integrated water resource management strategies.

Community Engagement and Benefit Sharing: A recurring theme was the recognition that effective wetland conservation hinges on the active participation and equitable benefit sharing with local communities. COP15 saw a push for strengthening community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) models and ensuring that local knowledge is incorporated into conservation planning.

Addressing Climate Change Impacts: The escalating impacts of climate change on wetlands were a significant concern. Discussions focused on developing adaptation and mitigation strategies to curtail the effects of droughts, floods, and sea-level rise, as well as leveraging the role of wetlands in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.

Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade: Recognising that wetland ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to poaching and illegal wildlife trade, COP15 saw renewed commitments to strengthen law enforcement, enhance cross-border collaboration, and address the underlying drivers of wildlife crime.

The Wildlife Economy as a Solution for SADC Wetlands

The wildlife economy, encompassing activities such as ecotourism, sustainable harvesting of natural resources, wildlife ranching, and bioprospecting, offers a compelling pathway to reconcile conservation goals with economic development aspirations in the SADC region. 

Methods to expand the ripple effect of a successful wildlife-based wetland economy

Generating Revenue for Conservation: A well-managed wildlife economy can generate significant revenue streams that can be reinvested into wetland conservation. Ecotourism, in particular, has the potential to create jobs, support local businesses, and provide financial incentives for communities to protect wetlands.

Creating Sustainable Livelihoods: By promoting the sustainable use of wetland resources, the wildlife economy can create alternative livelihood options for communities that are dependent on unsustainable practices. This can reduce pressure on wetlands and enhance local resilience.

Promoting Biodiversity Conservation: By assigning economic value to wildlife and their habitats, the wildlife economy can incentivise conservation efforts. For example, wildlife ranching can help to maintain and restore grassland ecosystems, while sustainable harvesting of natural resources can provide income for communities while promoting responsible management.

Enhancing Community Empowerment: When local communities are actively involved in managing and benefiting from the wildlife economy, they become stewards of their natural resources. This can lead to greater community ownership, improved governance, and more equitable distribution of benefits.

Scaling Up the Wildlife Economy in SADC Wetlands

To fully unlock the potential of the wildlife economy in SADC's wetlands, a concerted effort is needed to address several key challenges:

Strengthening Governance and Regulatory Frameworks: Clear and transparent policies are essential to ensure that the wildlife economy operates sustainably and equitably. This includes establishing robust monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal activities and ensure that benefits are shared fairly.

Investing in Infrastructure and Capacity Building: Developing tourism infrastructure, providing training for local communities, and supporting research and development are crucial for the success of the wildlife economy. This requires investment from both the public and private sectors.

Promoting Sustainable Tourism Practices: Ecotourism should be developed in a way that minimises its environmental impact and maximises its benefits for local communities. This includes implementing responsible tourism practices, promoting cultural sensitivity, and ensuring that tourism revenue is reinvested in conservation and community development.

Addressing Human-Wildlife Conflict: Human-wildlife conflict can undermine support for conservation efforts and threaten the livelihoods of local communities. Effective strategies are necessary to mitigate conflict, including providing compensation for losses, implementing deterrent measures, and promoting community-based conflict resolution.

Fostering Regional Collaboration: Many of SADC's wetlands are transboundary ecosystems, requiring close collaboration between countries to ensure their effective management. This includes harmonising policies, sharing information, and coordinating conservation efforts.

As this historic conference concluded, the promise of the Victoria Falls Declaration cannot be left to wither in policy documents. There is a need to actively invest in the enterprises profiled by AWEI and the countless others like them. This means creating dedicated financial mechanisms to support community-based initiatives, simplifying the regulatory environment for entrepreneurs who champion wise use, and investing in the skills and knowledge that allow local communities to move up the value chain.

The Victoria Falls Declaration signifies a pivotal moment for wetland conservation in the SADC region. By adopting the principles of the wildlife economy and tackling the challenges mentioned above, SADC can realise the economic potential of its wetlands while protecting these essential ecosystems for future generations. The success of this initiative depends on a strong commitment to good governance, strategic investment, and active community participation. The legacy of Ramsar COP15 in Victoria Falls will not be the declarations signed, but the livelihoods that are transformed. It will be reflected in the resilience of communities that now experience tangible benefits from safeguarding their ancestral wetlands. It will be evident in the health of fish stocks in Lake Chilwa, the integrity of mangroves in the Zambezi Delta, and the ongoing roar of smoke at Mosi-oa-Tunya, supported by an economy that values its natural capital. The AWEI brief provided the blueprint; it is now for the governments, private sector, and communities of the SADC region to shape this future.