Southern Africa Joins Forces to Safeguard Critical Wetlands: Official Commencement of the SADC Ramsar Regional Initiative (SARRI)
At the Ramsar COP15 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on 24th July 2025, the Southern Africa Ramsar Regional Initiative (SARRI) was officially launched. This regional platform aims to promote coordinated transboundary conservation strategies and mobilise resources for wetland restoration and management across Southern Africa.
The SARRI initiative is a collaborative effort between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and key partners such as the Eastern Africa Ramsar Office (ESARO), the French Biodiversity Agency, and others. The launch event underscored the shared commitment of these parties to protecting the region's natural resources.
Purpose and Goals
The purpose of SARRI is twofold: to protect and sustainably manage wetlands to support biodiversity, community livelihoods, and climate resilience in the Southern African region, and to promote regional cooperation among SADC member states for wetland conservation.
The goals of SARRI include fostering ecological protection of wetlands as critical ecosystems supporting biodiversity and climate change resilience, safeguarding the socio-economic benefits of wetlands to communities dependent on their resources, and encouraging cross-border collaboration for wetland policy integration and implementation.
Key Partners
SARRI's key partners include SADC member states, with Zambia as Chair of the SARRI Steering Committee and South Africa as Co-Chair. Other partners include regional governments, technical experts, scientists, youth leaders involved in wetland conservation efforts, the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, and international wetland organisations supporting conservation initiatives.
Launch Event Highlights
The launch event featured high-level dignitaries and technical experts, emphasising a united regional commitment to wetlands protection. The leadership roles endorsed earlier in 2025 followed consultations including a significant meeting in La Réunion in May 2024.
Sibongile Mavimbela, from the SADC Secretariat, pledged to advance scientific wetland research, manage Ramsar sites, identify new ones, empower communities, and rehabilitate degraded areas. Luther Bois Anukur, Regional Director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), expressed readiness to work with SADC Secretariat and Member States to turn SARRI's vision into reality.
Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife in Zimbabwe, Hon. Evelyn Ndlovu, was represented at the event by Edward Samuriwo, Director of Environment at the Ministry.
Looking Forward
The SARRI initiative will serve as a platform for collaboration among governments, conservation organisations, and development partners to ensure effective policies and actions safeguard wetlands for future generations. The launch event demonstrated the commitment of SADC Member States to cooperative efforts in wetland conservation and sustainable development.
Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, acknowledged the complexity of resource mobilisation. However, the launch of SARRI marks a significant step towards ensuring the sustainable management and conservation of wetlands in Southern Africa.
[1] SADC (2025). Southern Africa Ramsar Regional Initiative (SARRI). Retrieved from www.sadc.int/sarri
[2] ESARO (2025). Eastern Africa Ramsar Office. Retrieved from www.esaro.org
[3] Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (2025). About the Ramsar Convention. Retrieved from www.ramsar.org/about
[4] French Biodiversity Agency (2025). Agence Française pour la Biodiversité. Retrieved from www.afbiodiversite.fr
- The Southern Africa Ramsar Regional Initiative (SARRI) was launched in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in July 2025, focusing on coordinated transboundary conservation strategies for wetlands using science to support biodiversity, community livelihoods, and climate resilience in Southern Africa.
- SARRI's key goals are to foster ecological protection, safeguard socio-economic benefits, and encourage cross-border collaboration for wetland policy integration and implementation, with partners including SADC member states, regional governments, scientists, and international organizations supporting conservation initiatives.
- To fund these efforts, SARRI will collaborate with businesses and the financial sector, aiming to demonstrate the economic benefits of wetland conservation while fostering sustainable development and addressing climate change.
- The launch event showcased the shared commitment of high-level dignitaries, technical experts, youth leaders, and organizations like the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and the French Biodiversity Agency to ensure the effective protection and management of wetlands for future generations in Southern Africa.
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