‘Provide safe water for communities around national parks’

Patience Maturure

Agriculture Reporter

VETERANS of the Liberation Struggle Affairs Deputy Minister, Headman Moyo has stressed the need to drill boreholes for communities around national parks to ensure people do not share water sources with wildlife.

Dep Min Moyo urged the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to ensure the boreholes are in place by September 30 to prevent human-wildlife conflict.

He was speaking during a question and answer session in the National Assembly recently.

“In areas like Gonarezhou, Hwange National Park, Matetsu and Malipati wildlife and humans are facing food and water shortage, hence the need to drill boreholes to provide drinking water and curb human-wildlife conflict.

“The problem is that the human population has grown significantly and we are now occupying areas where wildlife is supposed to be, for instance, in areas like Matetsi, people are now co-habiting with animals so animals end up feeling that their spaces are being invaded and this leads to conflicts,” he said.

Dep Min Moyo stressed that both humans and wildlife are at the mercy of poor rainfall patterns due to climatic change and the resultant water shortages.

Wildlife needs water and should get it from wherever they want without any restrictions. This is not happening because people have settled in those areas where wildlife live. People end up doing farming in those areas again and disrupting wildlife’s peace.

“In the past, parks and our forests were quite a pride. Wild animals would survive on wild fruits but this has all changed due to climate change. What they used to get from the parks is no-longer there.

“Even the big rivers, which are supposed to have adequate water running through forests, now there is not much water and there is just mud. At times there is just dry soil and river sand,” he said.

Additionally, Dep Min Moyo challenged people to stop stream bank cultivation and urged traditional leaders to work with the Government to curb the problem.

“We want to farm but I believe that we should not temper with our forests. There are some streams known to have water always but this has since changed because of riverbank cultivation and other forms of farming along river banks, which is affecting the flow of water from tributaries to rivers.

“Addressing human wildlife conflict in the context of climate change requires a comprehensive approach that integrates ecological, social and economic considerations by implementing the recommended strategies and strengthening collaborative efforts. Zimbabwe is working towards achieving a more sustainable and harmonious co-existence between its wildlife and local communities,” he said.