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Acting Together for Wetlands: DIMFE at Ramsar COP15

Event

“We have lost an estimated 5.1 trillion dollars’ worth of wetlands since 1975.”

This striking figure, drawn from the new Global Wetland Outlook 2025, was shared by Ramsar Secretary General Dr. Musonda Mumba at the opening of the high-level side event “Scaling the restoration of degraded freshwater ecosystems and the Freshwater Challenge”, organised by Wetlands International during Ramsar COP15.

Co-hosted by the Governments of Gabon and France, the event brought together high-level decision-makers and technical partners, including the Ministers of Environment from Chile and Zimbabwe, and representatives from the FAO, GEF, MedWet, DIMFE, as well as country delegations from Gabon, Brazil, the UAE, and Liberia.

Discussions focused on key strategies to scale up freshwater ecosystem restoration, highlighting the need to:

  • integrate wetlands into national climate and biodiversity policies;
  • build long-term financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships;
  • and actively involve local communities in the design and governance of restoration projects.

DIMFE: A Philanthropic Alliance for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems

As part of the event, the Donors’ Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) was invited to share key insights from its work as a regional philanthropic alliance.

DIMFE emphasised three key conditions for effective and lasting restoration:

  • Genuine local partnerships, built on trust, inclusion, and community engagement;
  • Strategic alignment with national or international frameworks, ensuring political support and long-term impact;
  • And the responsibility of funders to make inclusive governance a requirement for funding, not just a best practice.

Launch of the 2025 Call for Projects

On this occasion, DIMFE officially announced the launch of its 2025 Call for Projects, aimed at supporting ambitious restoration and conservation initiatives across the Mediterranean basin.

A Shared Call to Act

Alongside DIMFE, MedWet called for greater investment in green infrastructure, long-term financing, and inclusive local water governance, reminding us that freshwater is not just an environmental issue — it is also social and geopolitical.

As a closing message, the Director General of IUCN, Dr. Grethel Aguilar, offered a clear and powerful call:

“Let us move from words to action. With hope, with urgency, and with partnership.”