Veld fires ravage Matabeleland North: 200K hectares gutted by fire in 2023

ABOUT 200 000 hectares of land in Matabeleland North province was ravaged by veld fires last year, putting the province in the top three of most affected regions in the country, statistics released by the Environment Management Authority (EMA) show.

No deaths were recorded in the same period. Mashonaland West province tops the list of provinces most affected by veld fires, followed by Matabeleland North province with Hwange, Lupane, Binga, Bubi and Umguza named as fire-prone districts.

“It is disheartening to note that a trends analysis of fire statistics have revealed that in terms of hectarage burnt, Matabeleland North province has maintained a second position nationally for the past seven years.

“However, on a more encouraging note, the 2023 statistics are evident that there was a significant reduction in area burnt where a total of 218 606,39ha were lost compared to 399 622,79ha in 2022, signalling a 45 percent decrease.

“The province did not record any deaths. Whilst we recorded a decrease, our statistics on the hectarage burnt still remain high and there is need for a further reduction,” Matabeleland North provincial environmental manager, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze, said.

She was speaking at a World Environment Day event and the belated launch of the National Fire Week at Mary Ellen Farm in Ward 22, Bubi District yesterday.

The decrease in the hectares of land ravaged by fire was attributed to various interventions such as technical assistance rendered to communities, joint awareness campaigns, training and capacity-development programmes initiated by inter-governmental agencies such as EMA and the Forestry Commission, among others.

“This year the province is targeting to reduce the area burnt by 10 percent from the 2023 statistics and this translates to 199 383ha,” she said.

“The 45 percent decrease in hectarage burnt by veld fires in 2023 was largely attributed to various initiatives such as the provincial fire indaba, technical assistance rendered to communities, joint awareness campaigns, training and capacity-development among others.

“Furthermore, prosecutions were also done by various regulatory entities namely the Environmental Management Agency, Forestry Commission, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority as well as local authorities,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.

Of the five fire prone districts Hwange was the most affected after recording 90 746ha of land burnt by veld fires while Umguza recorded 28 370ha. When communities derive economic value from their natural resources like forests by engaging in projects such as bee keeping and hay baling, they see the need to protect them, she noted.

This year’s World Environment Day ran under the theme: “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through to 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in recognition of the urgent need to rehabilitate and restore integrity of ecosystems following massive degradation of the environment resulting in climate change.

The fire restriction period or fire season as defined by Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 on Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection Regulations starts from July 1 to November 30. It is during this period when the country is most vulnerable to veld fires.

The law stipulates that no one should use fire outside residential or commercial premises as means to prevent outbreak of uncontrolled fires.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, resulting in elongated dry season, thus, again increasing the country’s vulnerability to veld fires.

Veld fires have a direct impact on agriculture resulting in the destruction of crops, grain, pastures, farming equipment thereby causing food shortages, financial loss to farmers and job losses.

Mrs Mpofu-Zuze commended Mary Ellen Farm for being exemplary in restoration of their land and ecosystem by taking a number of initiatives that include the construction of standard fire guards, biomas reduction activities through hay baling, mobilisation of fire-fighting equipment and assembling a competent fire-fighting team.

The farm is also engaged in the eradication of invasive plant species like the lantana camara to improve the re-growth of pastures with 30ha of land being cleared so far.