The City of Victoria Falls says its new international status as a Wetland City places the resort town on a global environmental stage, signalling its commitment to preserving fragile ecosystems that support wildlife, tourism and the wider community.
Public Relations Officer Leonard Ncube said the accreditation, awarded on 28 January 2025 and officially confirmed at COP 15 in Victoria Falls, where Mayor Prince Thuso Moyo received the certificate, recognises the city’s “wise use of wetlands” and responsible urban planning practices.
Victoria Falls was accredited alongside 30 other cities from China, Japan, India, Brazil, the United States and others.
“This accreditation is a recognition of the city’s efforts in conserving its wetlands. Victoria Falls lies next to a world heritage site and between national parks, and we have preserved animal corridors, buffer zones and our major wetlands in their natural state,” Ncube said.
He noted that the iconic Falls rainforest, one of the city’s key wetlands, remains intact and continues to function naturally, a major factor in the international endorsement.
Although the accreditation is recent, the city has already begun a systematic wetland-mapping exercise.
Visitors entering Victoria Falls can now see newly erected signage marking the Ilala Lodge Wetland, the Victoria Falls Waterworks Wetland and the Chamabondo Vlei Wetland. More sites are expected to be labelled over time.
“Mapping and signposting ensure that everyone knows these are protected areas,” said Ncube.
“We are doing this with partners such as Pristine, who also help with daily cleaning around the Falls.”
Victoria Falls has strengthened its development regulations to prevent environmental damage.
The city recently created a spatial planning department and hired a director to oversee development in line with national and environmental laws.
Under these controls, no development can take place without council approval, cutting one tree requires planting three replacements and no building may exceed 11 to 12 metres, the average height of surrounding trees.
“We don’t want buildings dominating the skyline,” Ncube said.
“When you look around Victoria Falls, you should see the natural environment, trees, wildlife and sky, not concrete.”
He added that maintaining low building heights protects the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Ncube stressed that the Victoria Falls rainforest wetland remains the city’s primary ecological asset and the main reason for earning Wetland City status. Several smaller wetlands within the urban area are also being identified and protected through zoning and policy enforcement.
Communities, businesses and environmental partners are already participating in wetland protection activities, including regular clean-ups and conservation awareness programmes.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Environmental Education and Publicity Manager Amukela Sidanke said the agency will continue providing oversight and technical support.
“For EMA, our role is to monitor and give all the necessary technical backup the city might need,” Sidanke said.