‘Work together to preserve wetlands’

Lawrence Chitumba Mashonaland Central Correspondent
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Minister Monica Mavhunga has called for scientific knowledge to complement community-based indigenous knowledge in the preservation of wetlands.

This comes as wetlands are disappearing owing to a number of issues which include the discord between scientific knowledge such as climate change and community-based indigenous knowledge which blames the phenomenon on supernatural powers.

Wetlands support a huge agro-ecological base, promote agricultural production and all forms of flora and fauna.

In a speech read on her behalf by Rushinga District Development Coordinator, Mrs Loretta Jonas, to mark the World Wetlands Day provincial celebrations in Rushinga last week, Minister Mavhunga said individuals, communities and governments must work together to protect these amazing ecosystems, which help to prepare for, cope with and bounce back from the impact of climate change.

“The horticultural project that is being supported by this wetland, Chimhanda Dam Irrigation Project is a perfect example of how wetlands are a pillar of survival through the provision of food and water,” she said.

“They are the future by supporting agricultural production, a key component in promoting the food security and nutritional cluster under Zim-Asset,” the minister said.

To reverse wetland degradation, she said, there was need for everyone to participate in the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

Through stakeholder and community participation, there was need to strike a balance between meeting human needs while sustaining biodiversity and other wetlands services.

The commemorations gave communities an opportunity to share their experiences in wetlands protection and utilisation and how it was contributing to the livelihoods, economic growth and reversing the effects of climate change.

 

Minister Mavhunga said Government has put in place measures to ensure that the people continued to enjoy the benefits of our wetlands into the future by designating seven wetlands as Ramsar Protected sites as well as the laws to control the utilisation of the natural resource.