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A ground-breaking report launched on the side-lines of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) that is taking place in Zimbabwe has highlighted the crucial role that wildlife species play in sustaining Africa’s wetlands.
The report, titled Africa Special Report: Taking Animals into Account, calls on governments to include animal-driven ecological processes into their ongoing wetland restoration and management strategies in order to combat biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
The report, produced by Global Rewilding Alliance (GRA) alongside a cohort of practitioner partners with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), points to the alarming decline of wetlands and freshwater species and presents a compelling case for including animal-driven ecological processes in wetland restoration and management. Drawing on scientific studies and on-the-ground experience to demonstrate how wildlife actively contributes to maintaining wetland function and biodiversity, the experts advocate for an ambitious rewilding perspective that includes wild animals at the heart of forward action.
“Our new report, focuses on wetlands in Africa; the continent with the most intact ecosystems on our planet and most intact assemblages of terrestrial and aquatic mammals, fishes and reptiles megafauna species,” the ground-breaking researchers said about the report. “Unfortunately, many of the populations are in steep decline, including species that are directly utilised by humans, both in the terrestrial and freshwater environments as well as in marine systems. The report highlights the ecological and functional importance of a wide spectrum of species, including hippos, Nile crocodiles, dugongs, Mediterranean monk seals, otters, sharks, and many fishes and water birds, as well as, African buffalo, elephant, and the Striped and Spotted hyenas.”
According to the report, since 1700, an estimated 3.4 million square kilometres of inland wetlands have been lost globally, while nearly one-third of freshwater fish species face extinction.
The findings urge for a paradigm shift in conservation efforts, emphasising that wildlife, from elephants and hippos to fish and water birds, actively shapes and maintains wetland health.
The analysis provides details on how animals play an important role in engineering wetland ecosystems. For example, elephants create water channels, hippos fertilise waterways, fish disperse seeds, while migratory birds maintain nutrient cycles. In the absence of these wildlife species, wetlands risk becoming functionally degraded, jeopardising their ability to provide clean water, flood control, and carbon storage, among their other crucial purposes.
At the report’s COP15 launch, GRA director of Science-Policy-Practice, Magnus Sylvén described it as an invaluable resource for those implementing the Ramsar Convention.
“By recognising the fundamental ecological role of wild animals, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and other organisms, we will become better at managing and restoring the world’s inland and coastal wetlands. This will dramatically increase the ecosystem services of wetlands to the benefit of all people on Planet Earth,” he said.
IFAW regional director for Africa, James Isiche, highlighted the link between wetland preservation and broader climate and biodiversity goals.
“Wetlands are vital ecological connectors in IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative, supporting species like elephants as they move across borders and landscapes,” Isiche said. “Protecting and restoring these dynamic ecosystems is essential to building climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and ensuring a future where animals and people thrive together.”
The report, which outlines case studies that evidence the importance of healthy wild animal populations for ecosystem services, and proof of rewilding successes, says 11 case studies from across the African continent bring examples of how wild animals shape coastal and inland wetlands within a human context. It is from these cases studies that the researchers got five key messages which are:
1. Rewilding works
2. Combat unsustainable use of key wetland species
3. Establish effective no-take fishing zones in inland and coastal waters
4. Intact ecosystems with megaherbivores are more resilient against alien invasive plant species than degraded
5. Ensure the ‘flow’ of water and wildlife in large-scale landscapes, “wetlandscapes” and seascapes
“To effectively conserve and manage Wetlands of International Importance, it is essential to incorporate an animal-related functional perspective. Without such efforts, our ability to manage climate change, disease outbreaks, invasive alien species, wildfires, and other challenges will be seriously compromised,” the researchers pointed out.
“There is a need to update the existing (Ramsar Convention) Strategic Framework and Guidelines to incorporate the functional aspects of wild animals… it is recommended to refer to the critical role of wild animals when it comes to maintaining and improving the “ecological character” of wetlands.”
They added that by adopting a rewilding perspective and putting ecosystem functionality and “ecological character” at the heart of its agenda, the Ramsar Convention could become a pioneer in the global conservation community.
Meanwhile the Africa Regional Group reached a strong consensus in support of Draft Resolution COP15 Doc.23.18 on “Achieving Equitable Governance and Effective Conservation of Wetlands as Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).”
While reaffirming the critical role wetlands play in halting biodiversity loss, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and sustaining local communities’ livelihoods, the Group, chaired by Madagascar, emphasised that these benefits must be balanced with careful, long-term sustainability measures that prioritise ecosystem health alongside socio-economic development.
“Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems, and their conservation is key to delivering on global environmental targets. Yet, they remain some of the most threatened natural assets,” the Group stated.
While reiterating Africa’s commitment to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) — which seeks to protect 30 per cent of the world’s land and sea by 2030 — the Group urged the international community to address the financial gaps hindering wetland conservation on the continent.
“Mobilising adequate financial resources remains a pressing challenge for developing countries. We cannot meet ambitious global targets without concrete support,” the Group noted, calling on donors, development partners, and international institutions to step up.
A core principle emphasised in the consensus was the need to uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in any efforts to designate wetlands as PAs or OECMs. The Group called for the respect, recognition, and integration of Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge Systems in the governance and management of these ecosystems.
“Inclusive conservation must ensure that communities are not sidelined, but empowered as custodians of their environments,” the Group stressed.
Named after the Iranian city of Ramsar where the inaugural meeting was held in 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty for the conservation of wetlands of all kinds, notably the 2,531 ‘Ramsar sites’, which are designated wetlands of international importance that cover over 2.6 million square kilometres.
Every three years, representatives of the 172 Ramsar Convention contracting parties meet to tackle the rising threats facing freshwater ecosystems and chart a path toward more sustainable management. This year some 3,000 delegates drawn from governments, United Nations agencies, scientists, global conservation organisations and representatives of local communities from across the world are meeting in the Zimbabwean resort city of Victoria Falls for this 15th edition of the Ramsar Convention which is running under the theme: “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future.”
