10 February 2022
Jeremiah Harrison
On Wednesday Bulawayo joined the rest of the world to
commemorate World Wetlands Day which is usually celebrated on the 2nd of February.
The commemorations were held out at Hillside Dams in Bulawayo.
The theme of the current year is “Wetlands Action For People and Nature.”
Wetlands are swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs, fens, peat bogs, or bodies of water – whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary found at certain spots in an area.
Thus the reason this year’s commemorations were held at Hillside Dams.
The place has two bodies that collect water, the lower and the upper dams. It has swampy areas to the Southwest and is ever wet and green.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Bulawayo City Council (BCC), National University of Science and Technology, ZimParks and other stakeholders from Bulawayo Metropolitan Province participated in the commemorations.
Director in the Ministry of Local Governance in Bulawayo Khonzani Ncube graced the event representing the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Honourable Judith
Ncube who was not present.
In her speech Khonzani Ncube spoke of the importance of wetlands in recreation, education and tourist attraction.
“Wetlands are a very important part of our ecosystems. We have a lot of benefits that we get from wetlands.
“Wetlands play a significant role in flood prevention, they are filters for underground water providing quality water, educational research purposes as well as recreation purposes,” said Ncube.
The government of Zimbabwe has come up with the National Wetland Policy that is meant to protect and conserve these wetlands.
Purpose of this policy is to guide wetlands management to become incorporated in development planning by government, private sector, development partners, traditional leaders, communities and individuals.
Part of the Policy Statement reads that,
Uncontrolled burning of wetland biomass is prohibited
The policy seeks to facilitate the establishment of an effective and efficient institutional and legal framework for integrated management and enhance capacity building within relevant institutions involved in the management of wetlands.
Khonzani Ncube urged all stakeholders to conserve wetlands in the country.
“I urge all government sectors, private sectors, individuals and all stakeholders to normalise implementations to conserve wetlands in Bulawayo and in Zimbabwe as a whole,” added Ncube.
“We need to educate others about the benefits of wetlands and wetland protection, we also need to use the remaining wetlands wisely,” she said.
Local authorities play a huge role in conserving wetlands. The law says that it is illegal to utilise (cultivate or build) on wetlands before getting approval from EMA and the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Wetland utilisation is governed by Section 113 of the Environmental Management Act (CAP 20:27).
Ncube encouraged city fathers to make sure that agricultural and settlement development implemented in the city do not infringe on wetlands.
Degrading and vandalising wetlands by individuals is a criminal offence which attracts huge fines. It the role of every responsible citizen to conserve wetlands as they play a significant role in the community. Citizens are also encouraged to embrace and conserve wetlands around them for the future generations.
In an interview carried out on the sidelines of the event, EMA’s Provincial Environmental Manager Sithembisiwe Ndlovu commented on wetlands conservation.
She stated that Conservancy of natural resorts such as Hillside Dams conservancy promotes Eco-Tourism.
“People come here most of the times to relax in an environment that is prestine. Also in terms of livihoods there are some people who depend on wetlands services. I think when we toured some of the stands here, our exhibitors were talking about ecosystem services like fruits, honey and you only find that in areas that are well conserved like this place,”
Ndlovu said.
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