Sifelani Tsiko

Agric, Environment & Innovation Editor

Reports that more than 10 000 homes in the country have been ravaged by floods brought about by heavy rains that have pounded the country in the 2020–2021 summer season, highlight the need to raise more awareness on the important role of wetlands in reducing the impact of floods and other climate related problems.

Very few people in Zimbabwe are aware that wetlands are nature’s shock absorbers and act as natural sponges helping absorb rainfall, reducing floods and droughts.

Environmental experts say they reduce the risks of flooding that come with storm surges and tropical cyclones.

They further say that the wetlands act as natural buffers and if managed wisely reduce people’s exposure to storm surges, floods, drought and cyclones.

In addition to this, wetlands can support livelihoods and basic needs for food, water, shelter and other needs, building resilience against disasters and climate change.

Deforestation and the destruction of wetlands in Zimbabwe has led to the damaging of homes, roads and crops in parts of Chimanimani, Chipinge, Buhera, Gweru, Masvingo, Chiredzi, Harare, Chitungwiza and Matabeleland South.

An update from the UN International Organisation of Migration (IOM) and the Civil Protection Unit shows that 9 661 homes were destroyed or damaged in the country as of January 27, showing the gravity of the impact of wetlands destruction and climate change.

As Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world to mark the World Wetlands Day yesterday under the theme: “Wetlands and Water”, there is already growing concern in the country about the poor appreciation of wetlands as a buffer against flooding.

The flooding of scores of houses built on or near wetlands in various parts of the country following the unusually heavy rains that pounded the country in recent days, points to corruption and weak implementation of existing environmental laws that prohibit construction on undesignated land on rivers and delicate ecosystems such as wetlands.

In and around Harare, several homes built on undesignated land on the edges of streams and rivers, as well as on wetlands in parts of Glen View and Budiriro suburbs of Harare were flooded.

This also played out in Chitungwiza town, where floods left a trail of disaster, with hundreds of families affected after their homes and property were destroyed.

Flash Floods hit Chitungwiza Unit M, N, A, Zengeza 4 and Manyame, forcing the provincial emergency services and rescue sub-committee to make assessments and recommend possible action.

More than 30 families were affected when their homes were flooded by heavy rains that hit Gweru last month, forcing the council to offer them temporary shelter.

Crops and property running into thousands of dollars were destroyed or damaged when houses in Montrose, Mtapa, Woodlands and parts of Nashville in Gweru were flooded.

Rain-triggered disasters also led to the destruction of several homes and other vital infrastructure in a number of areas dotted around the country.

There have been numerous reports of homes having been demolished, crops destroyed and roads swept away due to the incessant rains received in the country.

Informal settlements that have mushroomed in and around major cities and towns, many of them located on wetlands and river banks, are the hardest hit.

These settlements have no requisite water and sanitation facilities. In addition, they do not have proper and functioning drainage systems.

Government and local authorities still face an uphill battle to regularise the settlements and set up proper infrastructure due to sticky issues such as corruption and land barons, lack of expertise and the general lack of resources to undertake such capital intensive projects.

Without proper road infrastructure, water sources and sewer systems, the residents of these settlements that have sprouted in Harare and other major towns and cities, often end up digging up wells and constructing pit latrines anywhere, putting themselves at risk of contracting waterborne diseases as well as risking the flooding of homes.

Desperate home-seekers, duped by land barons, continue to build homes on flood plains, wetlands, and riverbanks, disregarding advice from environmentalists and local authorities.

Because of corruption within local authorities acting in collusion with land barons, people with homes built on sensitive ecosystems, are paying a huge price in terms of destruction of property and risk of death and diseases.

The Harare Wetlands Trust and other environmental activists have repeatedly appealed to the Government and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to save the remaining wetlands ecosystems that are crucial to maintaining vital water sources.

Local authorities such as the Harare City Council have on several occasions denied allegations of doling out the irregular stands, instead accusing land barons for the settlement crisis.

As Zimbabwe marks World Wetlands Day, it is now more urgent for the country to appreciate and understand the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet.

Laws that criminalise wetland abuse include the Environmental Management Act, Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, Urban Councils Act and Traditional Leaders Act. The country has seven protected wetland sites and has a total of 1 117 wetlands covering 793 348 hectares which is about 1,5 percent of the country’s land area.

Zimbabwe now needs to take practical steps to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future through collaboration with various local and international organisations.

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

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

Monavale Vlei, Lake Chivero and Victoria Falls wetlands were once on the verge of complete destruction through rapid urbanisation, but intense lobbying saved the fragile ecosystems.

Apart from these major wetlands in the country, there are thousands more where houses are being constructed without taking into account the sensitive ecosystem.

“In spite of these protections, developments on wetlands continue unabated due to legislative loopholes, administrative deficiencies within local authorities and lack of proper collaboration between the ministries of environment, local government, lands, Environmental Management Agency and local authorities to monitor the status of wetlands leading to unprocedural developments on wetlands,” the Harare Wetlands Trust said in a report.

The trust said it was worrying that permits continue to be issued to allow for developments on wetlands.

“The authorities are called upon to apply the legislation more rigorously to restrict, suspend and revoke the issuance of permits and for the government to amend legislation to provide greater protection for wetlands,” it said.

Unlawful settlements on wetlands need to be addressed head-on, not only to save lives and property, but to conserve the country’s biodiversity for future generations.

Taking corrective action and restoring wetlands could help the ecosystems to resume their natural function to change the dynamics of flooding, slowing the rate of water building up and trapping sediment downstream, a problem which usually causes flooding in towns and villages.