Local authorities urged to prioritise wetland preservation

LOCAL authorities should mainstream the management of wetlands in their activities to enhance environmental management while unlocking value from such resources to improve people’s livelihoods.

Addressing guests and officials at the recent joint provincial programme for World Wetlands Day (WWD) and National Clean-Up Day held at Manjolo Business Centre and Masibinta Wetland in Binga, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Richard Moyo, said it was worrying that the world has lost 85 percent of its wetlands which he said are disappearing faster than forests.

Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Safe Environment Wildlife Africa (Sewa) and Binga Rural District Council are collaborating to resuscitate Masibinta Wetland near Manjolo.

Zimbabwean wetlands cover an area of 136 595,8km2 and Matabeleland North contributes 39 400,8km2, which is 21 percent.

Of these wetlands, 61 percent is moderately degraded and 18 percent severely degraded according to official reports.

“Today we are being reminded of the invaluable role wetlands play in our lives and the urgent need to preserve them. Wetlands serve as natural sponges, absorbing excess water during floods and releasing it slowly during dry periods thereby helping mitigate the impacts of climate change-induced disasters,” said Minister Moyo.

He said they also act as carbon sinks, sequestrating/absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping to mitigate global warming.

“Furthermore, wetlands are biodiversity hotspots supporting numerous plant and animal species many of which are endemic and endangered,” said Minister Moyo.

He said wetlands also provide invaluable ecosystem services such as water purification, nutrient cycling and erosion control, upon which human societies depend for their sustenance and well-being.

Minister Moyo said as such, the conservation and wise use of wetlands becomes vital for human livelihoods and nature.
Binga District has the highest number of wetlands in Matabeleland North and these include cold and hot springs, dams and rivers.

Masibinta Wetland, once a pristine ecosystem, is under threat from cultivation with over 180 gardens, excavation to get water to irrigate crops, livestock trampling, invasive alien species, brick moulding activities, deforestation for firewood and fencing and effluent discharge from laundry activities at a borehole located within the wetland.

Litterbugs have also violated the wetland, which is littered with plastic bags, bottles and other debris.

Effects of climate change have not spared the wetland as rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns have altered the hydrological regime of the wetland, posing significant challenges to its ecological integrity.

“Amid all these challenges, there is hope. The urgent need to restore the wetland back to its pristine status saw the Environmental Management Agency making numerous interventions through awareness raising and law enforcement through the issuance of Environmental Protection Orders dating back to 2017,” said Minister Moyo.

In June 2022, Binga RDC in partnership with Safe Environment and Wildlife Africa (SEWA) and EMA engaged the community to implement a four-year Nature Based Restoration project for Masibinta Wetland.

Minister Moyo said the wetland should be fenced for protection.

The World Wetlands Day is commemorated to mark the signing of the Treaty on the Conservation of Wetlands, which was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran and known as Ramsar Convention.

This year the global theme: is “Wetlands for Human Wellbeing” and in Zimbabwe the theme is: “Wetlands for Sustainable Livelihoods”, which both emphasise the importance of wetlands to protecting the environment to benefit people.

Minister Moyo commended Binga RDC and its partners for implementing environment management programmes.

He said Government was committed to protecting the environment and ensure sustainable utilisation of wetlands and as such has put in place robust strategies to halt and reverse wetland loss.

Government has also developed a National Wetlands Management Framework consisting of the National Wetlands Master Plan, the National Wetlands Policy and Wetlands Management Guidelines.

The Wetland Policy places responsibility on planning authorities and all sectors of the economy to incorporate and mainstream wetland protection strategies into their development programmes for the wise use and restoration of wetlands.

“I therefore urge all local authorities and other stakeholders in the province to mainstream wetland management in all their programming through the development and implementation of local management plans for the protection and restoration of degraded wetlands,” said Minister Moyo.