WETLANDS, which are vanishing three times faster than forests, are a source of livelihood for more than one billion people around the world, the Environmental Management Agency has said.
BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA
Speaking at the belated World Wetlands Day commemorations held in Mutare recently under the theme Wetlands and Biodiversity EMA district development co-ordinator Chido Madzivire said wetlands contributed to climate change mitigation.
“Wetlands provide livelihoods for more than one billion people and help feed the world, lakes and rivers supply food and medicine” she said.
“Wetlands also contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and adaption through capturing and storing carbon to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases and providing resilience to hazards such as flooding, storm usage and sea level rise through absorbing and storing excess rainfall.”
She said wetlands were vanishing due to lack of drainage, infilling for agriculture and pollution.
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“Sadly wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forest, about 35% are disappearing. The causes of wetlands loss include drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, over exploitation of resources,” Madzivire said.
Madzivire urged people to employ various strategies to cope with climate change such as growing drought-tolerant crop varieties which reduce irrigation requirements and reduce the need to drain wetlands.
She also called for stiffer penalties to be imposed on those who unlawfully utilise and degrade wetlands.