Call to prioritise Wetlands

THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in Mashonaland Central Province is urging
members of the public to conserve, properly utilise and manage wetlands and their resources in order
to reverse the loss of wetlands and preserve those that are still in their prestine state.
According to environmental experts, a wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by
water either permanently or seasonally.Such places should be protected at all costs as they play a
major role in providing clean water, protecting people from flooding as well as combating climate
change, however, wetlands are now being given out to desperate home seekers, the Communications
Officer for EMA, Maxwell Mupotsa, said.
According to EMA, Zimbabwe has a variety of wetlands that include flood plains, pans, swamps,
dambos artificial impoundments that occupy 34,96 percent of the total area of the country, which is
equivalent to 13 659 579 hectares, hence EMA is appealing to members of the public to take the issue
of wetlands seriously, considering the consequences of flooding which has left a trail of destruction in
some parts of the province like Muzarabani and Mbire.
Wetlands are important in minimising the threat of flooding, which has become a normal in most
parts of the province, Mupotsa said.
As much as conservation and wise use of wetlands becomes vital for human livelihoods and nature,
the aim of the awareness is to increase people's understanding of those critically important
ecosystems.
Given the importance of wetlands in water supply for food production it's an undeniable fact that
wetlands play a pivotal role in poverty eradication.