JUST IN: EMA starts veld fire awareness blitz

26 May, 2021 - 11:05 0 Views
JUST IN: EMA starts veld fire awareness blitz Ms Amkela Sidange

The Sunday News

Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter

THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has started its accelerated fire management awareness blitz in farms and villages around the country following the approval of the 2021 Fire Season Veld Fire Management Strategy by Government last week.

After a Cabinet meeting last week, the Government said uncontrolled veld fires remain the most threatening factor on Zimbabwe’s forests, pastures, crop lands, property, infrastructure and food security. According to EMA, the country is a high-risk category of 65.2 percent to extreme risk category of 24.7 percent due to abundant downpours experienced around the country during the recent rainy season.

As part of the Fire Season Veld Fire Management Strategy, a farm level fire awareness blitz to raise awareness and sensitise farmers and communities on the environmental provisions on veld fire management must be carried out while EMA should also carry out of farm level inspections to monitor compliance to fire preparedness protocols among other measures.

EMA environmental education and publicity manager Ms Amkela Sidange said “…the Agency has hit the ground running through an accelerated fire management awareness blitz both at farm and village level, targeting all areas at risk to veld fires this year. To date the blitz has covered areas such as Chikomba, Wedza and Mudzi in Mashonaland East, Makonde, Hurungwe, Zvimba and Chegutu in Mashonaland West, hot spots in Binga and Hwange in Matabeleland North, Makoni and Nyanga in Manicaland, Mangwe, Bulilima, Insiza and part of Matobo in Matabeleland South and Bindura, Shamva, Mbire and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central.

“Activities in the blitz include community talk shows, formation of fire committees and firefighting teams, training on fire prevention and firefighting, demonstrations on fire guard construction and biomass reduction, drawing up local fire management plans and issuing of fire prevention orders to remind land owners, users and tenants including communities to put in place fire guards before the onset of the dry season.”

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