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The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has started conducting fire awareness campaigns to reduce veld fires which the agency said destroyed about 115 000 hectares of land last year.
In a statement yesterday, the agency’s environmental education and publicity officer Mr Oswald Ndlovu said they intensified awareness campaigns in resettlement areas which account for over 70 percent of fire outbreaks in the province.
He said EMA has also been visiting schools and conducting talk shows to help pupils know about the importance of safeguarding the environment and the dangers of veld fires.
“Veld fires are more rampant in newly-resettled smallholder farms. They have wreaked havoc on the environment especially in A1 and A2 farms. These farms have absentee land owners and some farmers have limited equipment for fire guard construction which creates necessary conditions for runaway fires,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said the province last year managed to reduce the number of fire outbreaks and was this year looking at conducting more outreach campaigns to further protect the environment from runaway fires.
“In Midlands province, 114 035,04 hectares were burnt in 2018. This translates to a 0,26 percent reduction from the 2017 burnt area which was 126 652,68 hectares.
“Many factors have been identified as causes of veld fires. However, most veld fires are attributed to human activities and this is why we are conducting these awareness campaigns,” he said. Mr Ndlovu said apart from affecting the natural environment, veld fires also impact negatively on humans through destruction of valuables such as livestock and household assets.
“Veld fires are also a threat to human life as they may cause injuries or death. Fires also deprive people of a clean environment by causing pollution. It therefore becomes an uphill task especially in rural communities to maintain a sustainable environment in the wake of the challenges posed by veld fires,” he said.
He however, said there were no lives lost in last year’s veld fires. He said they were engaging communities and were harvesting hay to reduce biomass as part of curbing fire outbreaks.
Online Reporter