Luanda - Angola became, on Sunday, a State Party to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance – Ramsar Convention, after the confirmation, by its secretariat, of the country's adhesion to the treaty.
The confirmation of Angola's adhesion as part of the 172nd part of the Ramsar Convention is the result of concrete actions carried out by the Angolan government with a view to protecting the environment, in particular, the mangrove ecosystems.

As part of this institutional effort, the Vice President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa, recently participated in the international conference on “The Strengthening of Political Commitments to the Conservation and Improvement of Mangroves in Africa”.

Before that event, Bornito de Sousa had also participated in the “International Workshop on Wetlands”, in which he highlighted the step taken by the country with the deposit, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, of the legal instruments that confirm adherence to the aforementioned Convention.

At the time, he considered the act as “a fact of extreme relevance for the country that has several types of wetlands ranging from rivers, lakes and swamps, making it an important area for the transit of various species of water birds and biodiversity”.

On the occasion, he launched a challenge to Angolan society in general and in particular to environmental organizations, companies and citizens to plant one million mangroves by December this year.

Angola proposes for inclusion in the List of “Ramsar Sites” the Mangal do Lobito Lagoons (Benguela), the Saco dos Flamingos (Luanda), the Arco Lagoon (Namibe), the Cameia National Park (Moxico) and the Zona Complex lakes of Lagoa do Carumbo (Lunda Norte).

The Calumbo and Quilunda (Luanda) and Chiloango mangrove (Cabinda) lagoons, Santiago Beach (Bengo), Baixo Cuanza (Luanda – Bengo) and the Kumbilo-Diríco wetlands complex (Cuando-Cubango) also are among the coastal wetlands proposed by Angola.

If effective, the inclusion of these sites in the "Ramsar Sites", which cover coastal and inland wetlands, rich in biodiversity and include a wide diversity of rare plants and animals, will ensure protection against the threats of exploitation of natural resources, climate and land use changes.