Marrakech – The stakes of preserving wetlands are at the heart of the preparatory regional meeting for COP 15 of the RAMSAR Convention, whose work began on Tuesday in Marrakech.
Organised by the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), this three-day meeting (8-10 January) aims to strengthen the commitments of African countries to conserve these vital ecosystems, threatened by the effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures.
Speaking at the opening session, the Director General of ANEF, Abderrahim Houmy, emphasised the strategic importance of wetlands, which are essential for water supply, biodiversity, and climate change regulation.
“The rapid degradation of these ecosystems, which have lost 35% of their area since 1970, threatens not only biodiversity but also the populations that depend on them,” he noted, highlighting Morocco’s commitment in this regard through national policies such as the “Morocco Forests 2020-2030” strategy, which aims to preserve these areas and strengthen the resilience of local communities to environmental challenges.
Mr Houmy also pointed out that Africa, which hosts 44% of the world's Ramsar sites, is particularly concerned by the loss of these ecosystems, stressing the need to intensify cooperation between African countries and international organisations.
In this context, he cited initiatives such as MedWet and the Southern Africa initiative as models of collaboration for the sustainable management of wetlands.
Echoing this sentiment, the Deputy Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, Jay Aldous, noted that the African continent is rich in exceptional natural resources, but these areas must be “better protected” to avoid irreversible biodiversity loss.
With this in mind, he affirmed that this meeting is an opportunity to determine common priorities for Africa to strengthen the continent's position at COP 15 and to promote the integration of wetlands into national sustainable development strategies.
The objective, he said, is to establish strong regional and international partnerships to strengthen wetland governance and maximise their benefits for local populations.
This preparatory meeting for COP 15 marks a decisive step for Africa, which intends to play a leading role in the preservation of wetlands.
The fruitful exchanges between participants should help to consolidate conservation commitments, highlighting the crucial importance of these ecosystems for the future of the planet.
This article RAMSAR Convention: Focus on Wetland Preservation in Marrakech first appeared on Map Ecology.
