Zimbabwe’s Youth Take the Lead as Wetlands COP15 Opens in Victoria Falls

Zimbabwe’s hosting of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands began with a strong message of youth inclusion, climate innovation, and national commitment during a youth-focused welcome dinner on the eve of the high-level summit.

Addressing delegates gathered at the Victoria Falls resort town, NetOne Pvt Ltd, Zimbabwe’s leading digital solutions provider, emphasized the critical role of young people and technology in driving wetland conservation efforts.

“This is no ordinary gathering. This is COP15. This is Zimbabwe rising. This is our wetlands calling—and we are answering,” a NetOne representative said during remarks made in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and the Ramsar National Youth Steering Committee.

The event, held ahead of the formal opening of the conference, brought together government ministers, diplomats, youth leaders, and climate stakeholders from over 170 countries. It also sets the stage for the adoption of the Victoria Falls Declaration on Sustainable Wetland Conservation, a landmark commitment aimed at enhancing global efforts to restore and protect wetlands.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Hon. Evelyn Ndlovu, reiterated that wetland protection is “a climate imperative, a hydrological necessity, and a development obligation.”

The COP15 youth dinner served as a platform to highlight youth-led innovation and NetOne’s digital solutions designed to support wetland protection. These include Internet of Things (IoT) enabled wetland sensors for real-time monitoring and early warning systems, and the OneConnect infrastructure that facilitates regional collaboration and climate data-sharing.

Delegates were each provided with NetOne e-SIM cards, symbolizing not only connectivity but a commitment to climate-conscious innovation.

“This is not just connectivity—it’s climate-conscious connectivity,” said the NetOne representative. “This is technology in the service of the Earth.”

Zimbabwe ratified the Ramsar Convention in 2012 and currently has seven Ramsar-designated wetland sites, including Monavale Vlei, Lake Chivero, and Mana Pools. According to the Convention Secretariat, over 411 million hectares of natural wetlands have been lost globally since 1970, making restoration efforts increasingly urgent.

The NetOne representative praised Zimbabwe’s hosting of COP15 as “a beacon of possibility,” and lauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) for including climate resilience, youth empowerment, and environmental protection among its core pillars.

The evening ended with a powerful reminder to delegates:

“Wetlands are not wastelands—they are wombs of life. Youth are not the future—they are the fierce urgency of now. And technology, when placed in the right hands, can heal—not harm—our planet.”

COP15 continues through July 31 and includes site visits, plenary sessions, and negotiations aimed at scaling up investment in wetland conservation and securing the ecological future of some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

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