Blessing Nduku & Tanaka Chare
In a significant address at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), the Chief Executive Officer of NetOne Groups Eng Raphael Mushanawani emphasized the critical role of climate-conscious connectivity in promoting sustainable development and protecting the world’s precious wetland ecosystems during the COP15 Youth Welcome Dinner last week in Victorial Falls.
Eng Mushanawani celebrated and commended HE Mnangagwa for the alignment of
NDS1 and urgent climate agenda.
“Under the inspired leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, whose National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) does not just prioritise infrastructure and innovation but it uplifts climate resilience, youth inclusion and environmental justice.”
The CEO went on to say that as leading digital solutions provider they have chosen to respond to climate change with solutions and explained them.
“At NetOne, we’ve chosen to respond not with slogans—but with solutions through enabled wetland sensors where will we be turning data into early warning systems because if nature sends signals, we must learn to listen.”
“Through our One Connect Infrastructure, we are empowering cross-border collaborations, scientific networks, and policy interventions because climate has no passport and wetlands know no boundaries. Every delegate tonight received a NetOne e-SIM card. But don’t think of it as just a tech tool.Think of it as a digital pledge to connect better, to conserve deeper, and to innovate smarter.”
Mushanawani expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders for being part and parcel of the program.
“To our international guests Zimbabwe is not just a place of beauty. It is a beacon of possibility.To our youths this is your table. This is your time. This is your terrain.To our media colleagues the storytellers of our time thank you for illuminating this cause, amplifying this mission, and holding us all accountable.”
COP15, officially the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, took place in Montreal, Canada, from December 7-19, 2022. It was a significant event focused on addressing the global biodiversity crisis and adopting a new framework to protect nature. The conference resulted in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, setting goals and targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
As the COP15 conference came to a close, the NetOne CEO’s call to action for climate-conscious connectivity resonated with delegates, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions that balance technological advancement with environmental stewardship.
With wetlands playing a vital role in mitigating climate change, the CEO’s advocacy underscored the importance of collaborative efforts to protect these precious ecosystems for future generations.
