MARTIN MAWAYA
As Zimbabwe prepares to host the historic 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in July, the government has scaled up its efforts to revamp and protect the country’s wetlands.
The conference, which will be held under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future,” aims to highlight the importance of wetlands in maintaining ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
According to Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu, the government has mapped all wetlands across the country and established a National Wetlands Policy, along with Wetlands Management Guidelines, to ensure the sustainable use of these critical ecosystems.
The rehabilitation of 200 hectares of the Ditchwe wetland in Makonde district, ward 4, and the restoration and protection of 154 hectares of the Chidobe wetland in Hwange district, ward 2, are currently underway.
“These projects are benefiting a total of 2,340 livestock and 400 households,” said Minister Ndlovu.
She said the government is constructing a waste sorting and processing center at the Tafara Integrated Resource Center in Mabvuku, and the construction of a state-of-the-art one-stop pavilion at Hwange National Park’s main camp in Matabeleland North province is 95% complete.
The minister also noted that the planting of 4,000 indigenous trees on 2,494 hectares of land in Shurugwi district, Midlands province, and the planting of 52,000 fruit trees under the 45th Independence Plantation Legacy Project in Gokwe North and South are progressing well.
Furthermore, the installation of 15 prototype 3-dimensional printed automatic weather stations at meteorological stations in various locations across the country is on schedule, added Ndlovu.
The stations include those in Victoria falls, Marondera, Hwange, Binga, Beitbridge,Kezi, Rupike, Kadoma, Zvishavane, Chipinge, Kanyemba,Mutoko, Mt Darwin, Chisumbanje and West Nicholson.
Importantly, The Southern Environment is launching the “Wednesday Wetland Conservation Conversation,” a weekly space to explore stories, solutions, and voices dedicated to protecting these critical ecosystems.
