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Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
Completion of the National Wetlands Masterplan is a welcome development that will boost the country’s environmental management efforts in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), an official has said.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) education and publicity manager Ms Amkela Sidange said yesterday that the creation of the wetlands master plan would also inform the development of the National Wetlands Policy.
She said the master plan was very comprehensive and made up of, the Zimbabwe National Wetlands Map; 10 Provincial Wetlands Maps; 63 District Wetlands Maps; Field Wetlands Maps; and the National Wetlands Geo-database.
“It also has the National Wetlands Interactive GIS Webmap which provides an interactive platform for wetlands visualisation to the general public, and the mobile application that can be accessed online,” said Ms Sidange.
“As an organisation, we see this as an appropriate window to reinforce the sustainable wetland management agenda in the country and we are ready to roll out any further pronouncements to enhance this”.
She added that wetlands remain one of the country’s vital ecosystems that have traditionally provided a wide range of ecological goods and services.
Ms Sidange said the recent announcement by Cabinet confirms the obligation of the country to prioritise judicious wetland protection.
She said sustainable wetland management was a major outcome of the National Development Strategy (NDS1), and thus wetland protection and restoration remain a key enabler in the achievement of the aspirations of the blueprint.
“To that end, the national wetlands master plan is pivotal in enhancing integrated wetland management by taking on board a landscape approach in crafting an array of sustainable strategies in the management of these vital ecological systems,” said Ms Sidange.
“Some of the measures that can be taken to achieve this include, but are not limited to, integrating wetlands into local plans to shape current and future developments which do not compromise the integrity of wetlands.
Others are integrating wetlands into watershed and catchment planning as they remain an integral component in water management at a catchment scale”.
She said it was critical to integrate wetlands into disaster management since they play a pivotal role in flood management, soil erosion attenuation, pacifying impacts of climate change, and further act as veld fire buffers, among other related functions.
Ms Sidange said if properly managed the wetlands may fit well in the protection of livelihoods, life, and property and that they may add economic non-consumptive tourism.
“Sustainable wetland management remains a deliberate and unavoidable ploy in ensuring wetlands continue to deliver goods and services in both best quantity and quality, to sustain biodiversity and life on earth,” she said.
Online Reporter