Worry over increased wetland invasion

ENVIRONMENTALIST Never Bonde has expressed concern over increasing wetland invasions and firewood poaching in Zimbabwe and has urged authorities to tighten law enforcement to curb the vice.

His concern comes as most urban and rural areas are currently experiencing increased wetland invasion with people building houses on the fragile ecosystems.

In a statement, Bonde, the Isandla esihle, Ruoko Rwakanaka director called on Zimbabweans to preserve the country’s glamour and beauty by conserving nature.

“As we celebrate Africa Day, let us have it in our minds that taking care of our motherland and home is our responsibility,” he said.

“We all love and cherish a clean and healthy environment and for us to daily have such, we need to take action to preserve and better our home for us and future generations to come,” the Bulawayo-based environmentalist said.

“It is on record that African environmental challenges are caused by human impacts on the natural environment, affecting humans and nearly all forms of life.”

He cited deforestation, soil degradation, air, water and garbage pollution, climate change and water scarcity as some of the continent’s major environmental challenges.

“We have been experiencing an increase in firewood and charcoal use leading to uncontrolled cutting down of trees and increased desertification in our communities. In Zimbabwe, the trending challenge has increased firewood and charcoal use. This is necessitated by human population increase, decrease in power availability and price increase on sources of energy like electricity and gas.

“As a way to curb these effects we need to develop and maintain a culture of planting trees and avoiding unnecessary cutting down of trees resulting in desertification in our communities,” he said, adding that wetland invasions were causing the disappearance of some endangered species.