By Durell Namasani
Tourism Minister Dr. Vera Kamtukule has emphasized the need for stronger policy coordination, greater community engagement, and transparency in carbon revenue usage to enhance Malawi’s wetland conservation efforts.
Speaking at the COP15 Wetlands Convention in Victoria Falls, Kamtukule highlighted that fragmented approaches among government ministries are weakening wetland management. “Tourism is doing something, Natural Resources is doing something else, and so is Water. Yet wetlands cut across all these sectors. We need to harmonize our policies and speak with one voice,” she said.
Kamtukule stressed the importance of empowering local communities living near wetlands, noting that conservation cannot succeed without their participation. However, she expressed concerns over how much carbon revenue actually reaches these communities. She also warned against intermediaries in carbon trading, urging direct government involvement to ensure local populations benefit more from these funds.
In her opening remarks at the conference, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay underscored the critical role of wetlands in sustaining life, despite covering only a small portion of the Earth’s surface. She noted their alarming disappearance and called for urgent global cooperation to address threats like climate change and pollution, emphasizing that no country should shirk this shared responsibility.
Malawi recently generated approximately $5 million from carbon credits through clean development projects in 2023 and 2024. The COP15 Convention has brought together 172 countries to strengthen commitments to wetland conservation and sustainable use.
