Sustainable wetland management
ZIMBABWE joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Wetlands Day, today, February 2, 2022, under the theme Wetlands Action for People and Nature. The national commemoration is being held today at Njovo wetland under Zezai village in ward 18, Masvingo district.
This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in the City of Ramsar, Iran, therefore, the treaty became commonly known as the Ramsar Convention.
The day is dedicated to raising awareness on the importance of wetlands.
Designated Ramsar sites in Zimbabwe
In accordance with the Ramsar Convention, Zimbabwe designated seven sites as “Ramsar Protected Wetlands” covering 28 582,40 hectares and these are as follows;
Victoria Falls
Driefontein Grasslands
Lake Chivero and Manyame
Middle Zambezi/Mana Pools
Chinhoyi Caves
Monavale Vlei, and
Cleveland Dam
What are wetlands?
Wetlands are areas of land that are flooded with water, either seasonally or permanently. Zimbabwe has a variety of wetlands that include flood plains, pans, swamps, dambos/ vleis and artificial impoundments that occupy 34,96 % of the total area of the country which is equivalent to 13 659 579 hectares.
Of these wetlands, 17,63% are in a pristine condition, 55,65% moderately degraded and 26,72% severely degraded by infrastructural development, agriculture, drainage, invasive alien species, deforestation, mineral extraction, solid and liquid waste disposal, freshwater diversion as well as climate change.
Common names of wetlands in Zimbabwe
Matoro (Shona)
Mapani (Shona)
Amaxhaphozi (Ndebele)
Identification of wetlands
The following indicators can be used to differentiate wetlands from other areas:
Wetness: Wetlands are usually wet for most part of the year.
Soil type: Dark clay soil which are sticky when wet and crackly when dry.
Vegetation: There are obligatory floral species such as reeds.
Importance of wetlands
1. Habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants
Fish and wildlife use wetlands as their habitat. Some live only in wetlands for their entire lives; others require wetland habitat for at least part of their life cycle, still others use wetlands much less frequently, generally for feeding.
For other, flora and fauna, wetlands provide important seasonal habitats, where food, water, and cover are plentiful. Examples of such species include; bush pig, scrub hare, tortoise and ducks.
2. Improving water quality and hydrology
Wetlands greatly influence the flow and quality of water. They help improve water quality, by intercepting surface runoff and removing or retaining inorganic nutrients, processing organic wastes, and reducing suspended sediments before they reach open water.
For example, as runoff passes through wetlands, they retain or process excess nitrogen and phosphorus, decompose organic pollutants, and trap suspended sediments that would otherwise clog waterways and affect fish and other aquatic life development. Some wetlands maintain stream flow during dry periods; others replenish groundwater.
3. Flood protection
Wetlands store and slowly release surface water, rain, groundwater and flood waters.
Trees and other wetland vegetation also impede the movement of flood waters and distribute them more slowly over floodplains.
This lowers flood heights and reduces erosion downstream and on adjacent lands. It also helps reduce floods and prevents waterlogging of agricultural lands.
Wetlands within and downstream of urban areas are particularly valuable in this regard, counteracting the greatly increased rate and volume of surface-water runoff from pavements and buildings.
This protection results in less monetary flood damage costs as well as protection of human health, safety, and welfare.
4. Economic benefits of wetland resources
We use many natural products from wetlands, including mammals and birds, fish and timber.
Similarly, various plants like blueberries, cranberries and mints as well as medicinal herbs are produced in wetlands.
5. Recreation, education, and research
Wetlands provide many recreational, educational, and research opportunities.
People hunt, fish, birdwatch or
photograph wildlife. In addition, artists and writers capture the beauty of wetlands on canvas and paper, or through cameras, and video and sound recorders.
Furthermore, educational centres use these valuable ecosystems as out-ofdoor laboratories for environmentallyrelated courses, since they serve as excellent study sites to learn about vegetative structure and ecological functions, natural ecological processes, biodiversity, and plant-animal interactions.
6. Climate control
Wetlands play an important role in carbon sequestration. They take in twice as much carbon dioxide as forests, hence, are great carbon sinks, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation.
What drives wetland loss and degradation?
The following results in wetland degradation:
Agriculture
Grazing animals
Logging
Water diversion through dams, dikes and canalisation
Infrastructure development, particularly on wetlands
Impacts of wetland degradation
Loss of wetlands translates to loss of fundamental functions they provide. Water retention of wetlands is usually affected by compaction and compression of wetland material due to various human activities.
In Zimbabwe, the progressive loss of wetland ecosystems has caused detrimental effects to society. These include:
i. Water scarcity
Water scarcity in Zimbabwe can be attributed, to some extent, to the conversion of wetlands to other uses such as; infrastructural development which has turned these vital sources of water to concrete jungles. Communities are therefore urged to sustainably manage wetlands to avert water scarcities that could also come with climate change.
ii. Biodiversity loss
Loss or degradation of wetland habitat results in loss of plant and animal biological diversity.
Plants and animals that depend on wetlands for survival might become extinct in the absence of their habitat.
iii. Increased runoff and flash flooding
As a result of reduced infiltration and water retention, episodes of high precipitation (high rainfall) are coupled with flash flooding. Wetlands help in flood control by absorbing excess water and thus reducing flood.
What does the law say about wetlands?
As a signatory to the Ramsar Convention, Zimbabwe has domesticated its provisions in local environmental legislation, in particular, the Environmental Management Act (CAP 20:27) to ensure the sustainable and wise use of wetlands.
Wetlands in Zimbabwe are therefore protected by law and authority for their utilisation can only be done under an EMA licence.
Zimbabwe’s efforts on the wise use of wetlands
The National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) clearly stipulates the sustainable management of wetlands as one of the major objectives for the environment sector in order to avert depletion of the natural resource base and environmental degradation.
Government, therefore, developed the following to enhance the effective management of wetlands and inform decision making regarding these vital ecosystems;
National wetlands master plan, which contains maps of all wetlands in the country
National wetlands policy, meant to guide the national trajectory on wetlands management.
National wetlands management guidelines to assist the making of ecologically sound development decisions which pay greater attention to wetland conservation.