Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE Environmental Management Agency (Ema) says it has embarked on a massive retooling exercise to ensure that there are adequate and relevant tools of trade in the management of the environment as enshrined in the Government’s National Development Strategy 1.
The recently launched NDS1 prioritises the environment as the natural capital to anchor the economic revival to achieve the envisaged Vision 2030 of an upper-middle-class economy.
Ema’s publicity and education manager, Ms Amkela Sidange said the country’s economy is primarily based on extractive activities and agriculture.
She said sustainable land management was key to the fulfilment of the Agency’s mandate and the pronouncements of the NDS1.
Ms Sidange said they were also looking at enhancing existing and creating new Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to effectively contribute to the national economic development initiatives.
“In this regard, the environment is the natural capital that enables economic revival in line with the recently launched National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the Vision 2030,” said Ms Sidange.
She said thje agency has since embarked on a massive retooling exercise to ensure that there are adequate and relevant tools of trade in the management of the environment.
“We have procured drones and other tools specifically for environmental monitoring. We are also monitoring in real-time veld fires from our (Harare) Earth observation station,” said Ms Sidange.
She said they had also received Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM) samplers for ambient air monitoring.
Ms Sidange said they were also awaiting delivery of a recently procured state- of- the art Hazardous chemicals response vehicle.
She said such tools will enhance the timeous reactions to accidental spillages and related cases.
“Our Environment Management Laboratory (EMAL), was recently given a further five years of ISO 17025 Accreditation after being audited for continued accreditation. This will boost quality assurance issues.
Sustainable land management remains key in the fulfilment of our mandate and the pronouncements of the NDS1, and we are ready to bring the same to fruition,” she said.
Ms Sidange said they were resourcing the National Environmental law enforcement unit (NELEU), which was recently formed in collaboration with Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
She said a number of initiatives to prevention further land degradation were being rolled out countrywide.
A hay bailers, grass cutters and tractors for biomass reduction projects for communities in veld fire-prone zones have been mobilised to reduce land lost to veld fires.
“This year, the country registered a record 30,38 percent reduction in land lost to veld fires in the just ended fire season hence the thrust to further reduce losses in the coming years in line with the NDS1.
Specific plans are in place to implement veld patching to rehabilitate and reclaim degraded lands, with a pilot veld patching project already being rolled out in Mutoko district in Mashonaland East province to reclaim 2,1 ha of wasteland,” said Ms Sidange.
The gazetting of ecologically sensitive areas, and the crafting of wetland management policy and wetland management guidelines, she said was at an advanced stage.
These, she said were likely to be concluded in the first half of next year.
Ms Sidange said they were also lobbying for the establishment of environmental management units at local authority level to boost efforts in the protection and enforcement of environmental laws.
“All these initiatives will be supported by robust environmental legislative reforms and amendments whose process is already at an advanced stage to ensure environmental offences and offenders are deterred and thus protecting the environment,” she said. — @tupeyo
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