Members of the SWS-Africa committee meet at the South African National Wetlands Indaba 2025 🍃 From left to right: Prof Peter Chatanga (Lesotho), Dr Alanna Rebelo (South Africa), Jacolette Adam (South Africa), Dr Dingha Babila (Cameroon), and Willem Lubbe (South Africa). This is the first time members of our committee has ever met in person!

Dr Excellence Akeredolu (Nigeria) and Prof Bismark-Dwumfour-Asare (Ghana) were not able to attend.

Find out more: https://nationalwetlandsindaba.org

Wetlands and People; Gauteng Province, South Africa

The Indaba is intended to provide a platform for a cross-disciplinary gathering of practitioners involved with the conservation and sustainable utilisation of South Africa’s wetland resources. These include scientists, decision-makers, researchers, conservationists and educators hailing from various organisations and Government departments. Over the years, participation in the Indaba has increased from a handful of wetland specialists to an annual event which attracts hundreds of people from varying disciplines with a common interest in wetlands, both locally and internationally.

Find out more: https://nationalwetlandsindaba.org

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) took place from 23 to 31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).

Conference website:  https://www.ramsar.org/meeting/15th-meeting-conference-contracting-parties 

Navigating the Waters: Wetland Science, Evolving Policy, and the Future of Our Landscape. The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) Annual Meeting serves as a premier gathering for professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts dedicated to the science, management, and conservation of wetlands. Conference website: swsannualmeeting.com

The 12th INTECOL Wetlands Conference took place together with the 20th Annual Meeting of SWS Europe in Tartu, Estonia.

Dr Alanna Rebelo attended and represented SWS Africa at the event, presenting two talks:

• Investigating the Impact of Extreme Flood Events on Erosion Within Palmiet Wetlands in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, and

• Restoration of High Energy Valley Bottom Wetlands: Lessons Learnt from South African Palmiet Wetlands within SYMPOSIUM 3: GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE: MAKING STRIDES TO RESTORE AND REHABILITATE WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE organised by Kimberli J. Ponzio and Dean R. Dobberfuhl.

Conference website: https://intecolwetlands2025.ee; 

You can access the abstract book here: https://intecolwetlands2025.ee/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/INTECOL_Abstract-book.pdf 

Prof Marinus Otte presents at the South African National Wetland Indaba in Cape St Francis, Eastern Cape, South Africa 🍃 SA Wetland Society #nationalwetlandsindaba2024

Dr Alanna Rebelo presented on SWS-Africa: an update on activities.

SWS-Afria is proud to announce the following gratis memberships awarded at the wetlands training course in October 2024:

1. Adeola Oni; Country: Nigeria

2. Celestine Inaku; Country: Nigeria

3. Deborah Johnson-Opeseitan; Country: Nigeria

4. Franklin Ebelechukwu; Country: Nigeria

5. Gadafi Iddrisu Balali; Country: Ghana

6. Michelle Fasona; Country: Nigeria

7. Olabode David; Country: Nigeria    

8. Patrick Ezekiel Bature; Country: Nigeria

9. Olumide Adebesin; Country: Nigeria. 

10. Kolade Paul-preacher Oladapo; Country: Nigeria.

11. Ngala Elvis Ngam; Country: Cameroon

These gratis memberships to SWS were awarded to the projects that were submitted after the course that received the top grades. We congratulate the winners! 

SWS-Africa hosted a wetlands training course at the University of Lagos, Nigeria from 7-9 October 2024. 

Visit the subpage to find out more: https://sites.google.com/view/sws-africa/training-event-nigeria-2024 

SWS-Afria is proud to announce the following gratis memberships awarded for 2023:

1. Damaris Kisha; International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust Partnership Conservation organisation; Kenya

2. Ts'epo Sekaleli (PhD student); University of the Free State; Lesotho

3. Chayma Hammana (PhD student); University of Badji Mokhtar-Annaba; Algeria

4. Chrispo Babila Dingha (PhD student); The University of Bamenda; Cameroon

5. Ndze Sharon (student); University of Bamenda;  Cameroon 

These awardees were the winners of the video competition, which you can watch the recordings of here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5xlRKUecWI

International Co-Chair Alanna Rebelo presented feedback from SWS-Africa at the South African Wetland Society AGM at the National Wetlands Indaba 2023 which took place from 23-26 October. 

International Co-Chair Alanna Rebelo led a workshop for the SWS Africa Region at the South African National Wetland Indaba 2022 from 24-27 October. The workshop aimed for the newly-forming SWS Africa committee to interface with our South African members, share updates, and hear ideas. The session covered: an update on SWS Africa and the vision for the next term; a presentation on the SWS Professional Certification Program (PCP) and how it can benefit African members; talks on wetlands in other African countries from guest speakers who are involved in the SWS Africa committee; and an interactive workshop session where participants had the opportunity to discuss the potential of SWS Africa in small groups, and share their ideas and input that will be used by the new committee to guide the vision for SWS Africa going forward. The workshop was attended by 20 people and was a great success.