Side event details

Background:

Wetlands are lifelines of the planet, vital for biodiversity, water regulation, food production, and climate mitigation. Yet, wetlands in agricultural settings are increasingly under pressure from land degradation, pollution, and unsustainable practices. The urgency of restoring these ecosystems has gained global momentum under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, co-led by FAO and UNEP.

This side event aligns with the Ramsar STRP Task 3.3 on "Agriculture and Wetlands," aiming to address how agricultural landscapes can be managed to maintain and restore the ecological character of wetlands while ensuring agricultural productivity and local livelihoods. It will showcase practical approaches that integrate wetland-friendly agriculture, agroecology, and nature-based solutions.

The session will also explore the evolving role of community engagement—including youth and traditional knowledge holders—in implementing restoration at scale.

Objectives:

• Showcase policy-relevant insights and field-level experiences from Task 3.3 on Agriculture and Wetlands.
• Strengthen alignment between wetland restoration and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• Highlight scalable solutions that integrate Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) with sustainable agriculture.
• Promote cross-sectoral collaboration among environment, agriculture, and water stakeholders.
• Surface the contributions of youth and community innovators in implementing restoration strategies.

Format & Agenda (60 minutes):

Envisaged Outcomes:

• Increased understanding of wetland restoration in agricultural landscapes as a core pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
• Clear recommendations for integrating wetland conservation and restoration into agricultural policy and practice
• Strengthened technical and policy collaboration across sectors and regions
• Recognition of the role of local communities, including youth, in advancing scalable, inclusive restoration efforts

Relevance to COP15:

This side event directly contributes to Ramsar COP15’s theme “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future,” and supports the delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It connects Ramsar’s scientific and technical work (Task 3.3) with the global ambition of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, while demonstrating real-world application of sustainable wetland-agriculture solutions.