Wetlands present a platform for ecological services, regulating and providing convenient water for many communities supporting fauna and flora

Walter Mswazie
Zimbabwe today joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Wetlands Day amid calls for urban centres to preserve wetlands for the future.

World Wetlands Day is commemorated each year on the 2nd of February. This year’s theme is: “World Wetlands for sustainable urban future”.

The theme underlines the importance of wetlands and that the future of urban centres hinges on wetlands.

This day marks the signing of the Treaty on the Conservation of Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

The Treaty became popularly known as the Ramsar Convention and its aim was to raise public awareness on conservation, proper utilisation and management of wetlands and their resources.

Ramsar Convention aims to promote the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.

Zimbabwe, which ratified the Ramsar Treaty in 2011, now has seven wetlands that have been declared as Ramsar sites.

These are Monavale Vlei, Cleveland Dam, Mana Pools, Lake Chivero, Driefontein Grasslands, Chinhoyi Caves and the Victoria Falls National Park.

Most of these wetlands are vital water sources for human settlements and wildlife within their catchment areas.

The designation of a wetland as a Ramsar site enables the exchange of standardised information on conservation practices and technical assistance and lends international tourism value to a place.

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. They occur where the water table is near the surface, or where the land is covered by water.

Wetlands are not a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe but what is amazing is that a number of urban centres are ignorant of their importance, let alone their potential to change people’s lives for the better.

Across the country there are a number of wetlands which are increasingly coming under threat from rapid urbanisation.

In some areas they are only sources of water for animals yet they can be transformed into development vehicles for local communities through sustainable practices.

At Matururwe village in Bikita East, people are still conserving their wetlands through sustainable practices.

The wetlands have survived since time immemorial, thanks to good conservation practices by locals.

A wetland project at the site has benefited locals immensely.

“This wetland is our fountain of hope,” said Makaitei Maturure, a leader of a project at the wetlands. “We have planted crops and this has helped our families to be food secure. We can now feed our families and send our children to school.”

There is a thriving market gardening project at the site and farmers sell their excess crop to consumers in nearby villages.

“From the proceeds we are able to buy books, pay school fees and other needs for our children. Food insecurity has remained alien in this village,” he said.

Elsewhere across the country stories abound of successful projects.

Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesman Steady Kangata hailed Matopos communities in Matabeleland South province, Makonde and Murehwa for taking care of their wetlands and urged other communities to emulate.

“We are happy that many rural communities have taken upon themselves to preserve wetlands within their environments. We have quite a number of them in the country; we have wetlands from which communities accrue direct benefits and these are Tsongore in Murehwa, Bandira in Makonde, Malilan’ombe in Matopos’ Matabeleland South,” he said.

“Malilan’ombe is a well preserved wetland and villagers are accruing benefits through market gardening. Tourists are visiting as well,” he added.

The Environmental Management Act (Cap 20; 27) defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peat-land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including riparian land adjacent to the wetland”.

Wetlands are referred to as matoro in Shona, amaxhaphozi in IsiNdebele.

As a signatory to the Ramsar Convention, Zimbabwe has tamed provisions for the protection of wetlands under the EMA Act (Cap 20:27), Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 on EMA (Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulation and Government Gazette 380 of 2013.

Wetlands present a platform for ecological services, regulating and providing convenient water for many communities supporting fauna and flora.

Due to their significance in the production of food, wetlands are a key in the eradication of famine both at micro and macro levels – being life savers in real terms.

Wetlands are also handy in purifying and replenishing ground water. They act as sponges in holding water during rainy season before releasing it slowly to the surface.

They are buffer zones that reduce flooding and mitigating against climatic disasters such as droughts.

Mr Kangata said this year’s national commemorations will be in the form of a symposium in Harare.

He said several stakeholders comprising government, local authority, the private sector, media, among others were expected to attend.

“The symposium will be a platform where stakeholders come up with suggestions and recommendations on how the issue of wetlands can be given due attention, especially by the urbanites. We have challenges in urban set-ups where wetlands are not taken care of and the symposium provides us with an opportunity to come up with a position,” said Mr Kangata.

“Basically many people are aware of the importance of wetlands but we have a problem when it comes to infrastructural development.

“We have seen local authorities giving residents residential stands in wetlands and it won’t be easy to deal with the issue as EMA because the developer would have parted with cash to own the land. We have tried to engage the councils over the issue but it seems we are not yet singing the same tune,”he said.

He underscored the need for citizens to preserve wetlands as they provide a number of opportunities which include being sources of water given the dwindling of reservoirs throughout the world.

“Globally water sources are dwindling and wetlands have saved the situation as they remain reliable sources of the precious liquid. They are important because of the ecological goods and services they provide to the communities.”

Mr Kangata said wetlands have proved to be safety nets in times of climatic shocks in the form of droughts.

“In times of drought wetlands provide communities with water for agricultural purposes, that is market gardening, fisheries and domestic use. We have many big dams in Zimbabwe that have at one time dried up during drought but wetlands will remain with water given the high level of water table,” he said.

He has hailed rural communities for utilising wetlands within their environment and encouraged those that are not doing anything with their natural water sources to emulate others.

Masvingo EMA regional manager Milton Muusha said the commemoration would be held in Ward 1 of Gutu under Chief Serima’s area at the Driefontein/Shashe wetland and the main focus would be underlining the importance of preserving wetlands as they have invaluable economic benefit for the future.

“We will commemorate the day in Gutu at a wetland preserved by a seven member committee, five males and two females and the project was initiated by Birdlife Zimbabwe in 2002 and is supported by 64 active families,” said Muusha.

He said the wetland is a habitat of endangered species comprising the wattled and the grey crowned cranes. The wetland is also a major source of Shashe River and Drienfontein Dam. “The project has components of birds’ protection, wetland management and garden project. The total fenced area is about 16,6 hectares and each household has 0.26 hectares of gardening area within the fenced portion,” he said.

Masvingo Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) provincial chair Dr Fredrick Kasese underscored the need to preserve wetlands within the communities adding that they present tourism opportunities.

“Wetlands are a natural phenomenon that can attract the much needed investments into the province and country at large. When we talk of economic drivers, we must not ignore wetlands because and through them the communities stand to accrue a number of economic benefits.

They are like any other heritage sites and the natural water has therapeutic functions,” said Dr Kasese.

Dr Kasese said that people should be made aware of the importance of wetlands so that they can exploit them for good use.

“We have a number of wetlands in the province like the one in Bikita, Shakashe wetlands, far too many to mention. Some communities have put these natural sources into good use but others are yet to appreciate their importance. It is against this background that there is sore need to raise awareness so that they are very much aware of their significance and existence,” he added.

Preservation of wetlands can transform communities into economic hubs by adding value to food security. They also help in weaning “poor” communities from depending on handouts as they will be able to produce food even during drought, hence the need to invest heavily on them as a nation.

Government can provide communities with farming inputs or knowledge through agricultural extension workers to impart farming skills so that they are able to utilise wetlands fully for their own benefit. — @walterbswazie3