Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
THE Reskelf Wetland in Shurugwi, Midlands Province, was fenced off in 2018 under the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Small Grant Programme (SGP) partnership with Government in a bid to restore and sustainably utilise wetlands across the country.
The project was implemented under biodiversity and climate change mitigation programmes with the theme, “Promoting Climate Smart Innovative Argo-ecology for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and improved livelihoods”.
The project seeks to address pressing environmental challenges that include climate change leading to erratic rainfall affecting agricultural production and water accessibility, wetlands degradation, use of synthetic chemicals, land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss and the shortage of water.
The wetland now stores water throughout the year hence it is acting as a safety net for the community. It has improved the community’s livelihoods as they embark on honey production, horticulture, fish production and cereal production which is benefiting 30 households.
Wetland biodiversity has also been restored.
This is just one example of strides made by the country in restoring wetlands, turning them into sources of livelihood as well as a tool to fight against climate change.
Joining the rest of the world in commemorating World Wetlands Day on February 2, Zimbabwe had a success story to tell.
Zimbabwe launched its National Wetlands Policy and Wetlands Management Guidelines in February 2022 to promote the protection of the country’s wetlands in order to sustain their ecological and social-economic functions.
Upon the implementation of the policy, it had been discovered that 17,63 percent of the wetlands are in pristine condition, 55,65 percent moderately degraded and 26,72 percent severely degraded.
But authorities are not giving up as they continue to engage with farmers and the general citizenry raising awareness on the importance of wetlands.
The policy and management guidelines have seen the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) recording considerable progress in sustainable wetland management after the restoration of 250 000 hectares of wetlands in 2022 alone.
Zimbabwe has a variety of wetlands that include floodplains, pans, swamps, dambos/vleis and artificial impoundments that occupy 34,96 percent of the total area of the country which is equivalent to 13 659 579 hectares.
Of these available wetlands, the vleis constitute the country’s natural infrastructure which is being threatened by unsustainable anthropogenic activities including overgrazing, cultivation, infrastructural development coupled with climate change. Despite the policy, wetlands continue to be degraded.
What the generality of Zimbabweans needs to know is that if fully restored and utilised, the wetlands can go a long way in ensuring the country is food secure as they can be used for farming, bee keeping and as a water source among other uses.
The wetlands are also key in fighting climate change hence the Second Republic has prioritised wetland restoration as they are key in the country’s development agenda.
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said the Second Republic has placed wetlands management at the core of its development agenda and put in place governance tools to ensure judicious utilisation of these important ecological assets.
He said communities were already enjoying the fruits of wetland restoration through increased water discharge and associated livelihood options across the country.
“In line with the Government’s thrust of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030, we need to fully harness the full economic potential associated with wetlands conservation including improved biodiversity, tourism and other allied business,” said Minister Ndlovu.
He said more projects will be rolled out in a bid to restore more wetlands.
“Wetlands restoration dovetails well with my ministry’s NDS1 target of increasing areas of wetlands that are sustainably managed. I’m happy to inform you that since 2021, a total of 103 wetlands with a total area of 350 550 hectares were put under sustainable management across the whole country and more such projects are yet to be implemented,” he said.
In the wake of extreme weather conditions causing poverty and hunger among the population, wetlands can come as a remedy as they are a source of clean water.
According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) 2022 Report, the country is experiencing food insecurity, with 5,6 out of 16,6 million people (33 percent) having insufficient food consumption, and a projected 38 percent of the rural households being cereal insecure at the peak of the lean season (October to December 2022).
Climate change director in the same ministry, Mr Washington Zhakata said by being a mere source of water, wetlands fight climate change from many fronts.
“Wetlands are actually a reservoir and source of water which needs to be protected and preserved and used especially for micro-scale agricultural productivity in gardens for livelihoods and to assist in hunger mitigation,” said Mr Zhakata.
He said with these changing climates causing extreme weather conditions whereby droughts are so frequent, wetlands can be available for food security through different farming and horticultural projects.
He however, said the gardens should be strategically positioned as they can end up depleting underground water within the catchment.
“The gardens need to be strategically placed so that they do not cause land degradation and water depletion,” he said.
Ema environmental education and publicity manager Mrs Amkela Sidange gave a detailed scientific explanation of how wetlands can help fight horrendous effects of climate change.
“Wetlands store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem; they are a carbon seque, they seque straight carbon from the atmosphere and become a game changer in the fight against climate change,” she said.
By merely supporting human livelihoods through supply of water after all other water sources have dried up, wetlands are also playing a critical role in fighting climate change.
“They are a remnant of moisture islands even when all other surrounding sources have dried up, they remain moist. They actually recharge both surface and underground water systems and by doing so when we have extreme weather conditions associated with climate change, wetlands remain like a moisture island with water,” she said.
As long as we leave the wetlands as pristine as they are, they will be able to support a wide range of biodiversity, even when we are experiencing extreme weather conditions. Wetlands can sustain biodiversity in its entirety.
Online Reporter