The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Correspondent
THE Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Richard Moyo, has urged all ministries and arms of Government to mainstream wetland management in their programming.
Cde Moyo said this during the provincial commemorations of World Wetlands Day at Khami Prison’s Mamanga Wetlands in Ward 16, Umguza District on Friday.
The World Wetlands Day is commemorated to mark the signing of the treaty on the Conservation of Wetlands, which was signed on 2 February 1971 in Rasmar, Iran. This year the commemorations were held under the theme “Wetlands Action for People and Nature — Value, Manage, Restore, Love Wetlands”.
“The Second Republic under the leadership of His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa, is aware of these threats to wetlands. As a result, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) clearly identifies the sustainable management of wetlands as one of the major outcomes for the environment sector, in an effort to avert depletion of the natural resource base and environmental degradation.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has implemented a number of robust initiatives to ensure sustainable wetlands management is achieved.
These include the development of a national wetlands management framework consisting of the National Wetlands Policy and Wetlands Management guidelines,” said Cde Moyo.
The importance of wetlands to human well-being has often been overlooked or under-appreciated as evidenced by construction which was done on wetlands as well as uncontrolled cultivation and draining of wetland areas to pave way for other uses.
Cognisant of such threats to wetlands, Cde Moyo urged arms of Government to take note of sustainable wetlands management.
Meanwhile, inmates from Khami Maximum, Medium, Remand, Mlondolozi and Bulawayo prisons participated in the commemorations in a unique way. They presented different paintings of wetlands which battled each other and saw winners scooping prizes in the form of hampers.
Khami Maximum and Remand scooped the top prizes.
