admin
Paul Pindani in CHINHOYI
THE area destroyed by veld fires in Mashonaland West, as of October last year, represented a huge drop, compared to the previous year, the province’s Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution has revealed.
Minister Marian Chombo urged communities to preserve and guard their environment jealously.
She made the remarks during a veld fire management workshop held at the provincial Environmental Management Agency’s offices here yesterday.
The theme for this year’s veld fire awareness campaign is “Prevent Veld Fires, Protect The Environment and Livelihoods.”
The theme highlights the link between sustainable food systems and the management of veld fires.
Min Chombo said each year, the province loses an average of four hundred thousand hectares of forests and grasslands, depriving wildfire and livestock of pastures and leaving the province counting losses of property, infrastructure, crops, grain and human life.
She said last year, the total area burnt, as of October 31, was 206,927.85 hectares and this was a 64.2 percent decrease compared to the 577,946.98 hectares during the same period in 2022.
“However, the decrease in the average area burnt in 2023 was largely attributed to technical assistance rendered to communities, environmental education, training and capacity, development and awareness campaigns done throughout the province using the whole government and community approaches.
“To our esteemed traditional healers, Members of Parliament and other local leaders, let us protect our heritage for our future generations.”
Min Chombo said veld fires have a direct impact on agriculture resulting in the destruction of crops, grain, pastures and equipment and the subsequent food shortages, and financial and even job losses, which come as collateral damage.
She said this eventually has a negative impact on the Province’s Gross Domestic Product and food security.
“This sustainable management of veld fires has a huge bearing on the achievement of the set targets in the NDS1 as well as the Sustainable Development Goal on Zero Hunger and Climate Action.
“Our province experiences seasonal variations of a hot and wet summer and cold and dry winter which increases the vulnerability to veld fires, especially during the dry period.
“However, fires are normal in the Savannah ecosystem but what becomes problematic are the veld fires that are often uncontrollable fires which result in loss of large tracts of land, property as well as life.”
She said veld fires have become an issue of national concern.
“Such losses have a negative impact on the economy, and result in biodiversity loss, desertification, land degradation, drought, pollution, food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Online Reporter