Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - 01 Aug 2025 -  WWF is celebrating significant wins for wetlands and freshwater ecosystems following intense negotiations on several key resolutions at the just-ended RAMSAR COP15.

In partnership with International Organisation Partners (IOPs), WWF played a leading role in advancing three resolutions that are critical to biodiversity, climate resilience and community livelihoods: on flyways, the Freshwater Challenge and freshwater ecosystem restoration, and river dolphins.

WWF welcomed the adoption of a resolution submitted by Burkina Faso and Gabon that highlights freshwater ecosystem restoration and recognises the importance of the Freshwater Challenge (FWC). The final text strengthens ties between the Ramsar Convention and other major multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Baku Declaration on Water for Climate Action. The resolution also calls for greater inclusion of local knowledge and community participation in restoration efforts.

“This is a critical step in aligning global wetlands commitments with the urgent need for freshwater resilience,” said Derek Vollmer, WWF-US and FWC Technical Assistance Lead. “We now have stronger language and clearer mechanisms to help countries restore rivers and wetlands that support people and nature.”

The flyways resolution, championed by WWF and partners, was adopted with expanded scope and renewed focus on international cooperation. It now includes all global flyways, with improved provisions for monitoring and national reporting. The resolution highlights the importance of these migratory routes for achieving global biodiversity goals.

“The flyways resolution will help protect critical wetland habitats for migratory birds, from Asia to Africa and beyond,” said Vivian Fu, WWF-Hong Kong.

One of the most debated topics at COP15 was the resolution on river dolphins. After extensive negotiations, WWF and partners secured the adoption of a resolution that recognises river dolphins, and other inland wetland indicator species, as key to the conservation and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems.

“This global resolution offers real hope for river dolphins,” said Emily Cunningham MBE, WWF’s Global Lead for River Dolphin Rivers Initiative. “It builds on the 2023 Global Declaration for River Dolphins and lays the groundwork for collective action across continents.”

The resolution maintains strong provisions for reporting, monitoring, and cross-border collaboration and explicitly supports the survival of all six remaining river dolphin species, all of which are threatened with extinction.

WWF remains committed to supporting governments and communities in translating these resolutions into real impact on the ground.

“These decisions reflect the growing momentum behind wetland and freshwater protection,” said Durrel Nzene Halleson, Head of Policy and Partnerships for WWF Africa. “We now need strong implementation and long-term funding to make sure these commitments result in healthier rivers, stronger communities, and more resilient ecosystems.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Ramsar COP15
The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar COP15) was held from 23–31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. It marked the first time in over two decades that a Ramsar COP was hosted in Africa.

Organised under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for a Common Future”, the conference brought together more than 170 Parties to the Convention, alongside observers from civil society, academia, Indigenous communities, youth networks, and the private sector.

Ramsar COP15 focused on urgent global efforts to protect, restore, and wisely use wetlands, some of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Discussions centered on how wetlands contribute to water and food security, biodiversity conservation, climate change resilience, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About the Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. It provides the framework for national action and international cooperation to conserve and wisely use wetlands and their resources. As of 2025, the Convention has 172 Contracting Parties and over 2,500 Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) designated around the world.

For more information on Ramsar COP15 and the Convention, visit: https://www.ramsar.org

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit our website at https://asiapacific.panda.org

For more information, interviews with our experts, or media enquiries, please contact:

Tuba Mutwale
Communications Manager - East and Southern Africa
tmutwale@wwfint.org

+254740707128