Victoria Falls | 23-31 July 2025
Accommodation
and Venue
Airport Reception
and Logistics
Accessibility
Matters
Medical
and Healthcare
Visa Requirements
and Immigration Matters
COP15 COUNTDOWN
COP15 | Victoria Falls
One hundred and seventy-two (172) governments will convene at the 15th meeting of the Convention on Wetlands to strengthen international commitments for wetland conservation. Scheduled for 23-31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, COP15 embraces the theme “Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future.”, which emphasizes the important role wetlands play in sustaining ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Against the iconic backdrop of Victoria Falls, COP15 will spotlight the value of wetlands and create new avenues for collaborative conservation to protect and restore the world’s freshwater resources and habitats.
FAQs
Every three years, representatives of the governments of each of the Contracting Parties meet as the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP), to agree on a work programme and budgetary arrangements for the next triennium and consider guidance on a range of ongoing and emerging environmental issues.
Representatives of non-member states, intergovernmental institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also participate in these meetings as non-voting observers.
Each meeting of the COP includes a number of technical sessions on ongoing and emerging wetland conservation and wise use issues, to update Convention concepts and draft guidance for the Parties
COP15 will take place from July 23 to 31 in 2025 at Elephant Hills Resort, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
For Accreditation Please follow the Link below
https://www.ramsar.org/meeting/15th-meeting-conference-contracting-parties
Please refer to the Exhibition guide.
Ramsar Sites
Zimbabwe currently has seven Ramsar Sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 453,828 hectares.
Monavale Vlei
Driefontein Grasslands
Cleveland Dam
Lakes Chivero and Manyame
Victoria Falls National Park
Mana Pools National Park
Chinhoyi Caves
ROAD TO VICTORIA FALLS
Wetlands are vital for human survival. They are among the world’s most productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival.
Wetlands are indispensable for the countless benefits or “ecosystem services” that they provide humanity, ranging from freshwater supply, food and building materials, and biodiversity, to flood control, groundwater recharge, and climate change mitigation.
Yet study after study demonstrates that wetland area and quality continue to decline in most regions of the world. As a result, the ecosystem services that wetlands provide to people are compromised.
Managing wetlands is a global challenge and the Convention presently counts 172 countries as Contracting Parties, which recognize the value of having one international treaty dedicated to a single ecosystem.
The Convention uses a broad definition of wetlands. This includes all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.
Zimbabwe's Vision 2030 aims to transform the country into a middle-income economy that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable. Central to this vision is the recognition of the importance of natural resources, including wetlands, in contributing to the nation’s socio-economic development and environmental health. Wetlands are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, water security, climate resilience, and the livelihoods of communities.
As part of its commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship, Zimbabwe has incorporated the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands into its National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which covers the period from 2021 to 2025. The NDS1 serves as the country’s blueprint for achieving Vision 2030 and outlines key objectives, strategies, and actions to foster economic growth, environmental protection, and social well-being.