COMMUNITIES across Masvingo province have taken a leading role in the implementation of 96 wetland protection projects aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and strengthening climate resilience in the region.
The projects, underway in Gutu, Bikita and Zaka districts, are not only focused on environmental restoration, but also on empowering villagers to become custodians of their natural resources.
Speaking during World Wetlands Day commemorations held at Nerumedzo Primary School in Bikita last week, Environmental Management Agency (Ema) Masvingo provincial manager Milton Muusha said sustainable conservation could only succeed if communities took ownership.
“This year’s theme reminds us that wetlands are not just ecological assets, but part of our cultural identity,” he said.
“Traditional leadership structures have always played a key role in protecting these areas through indigenous knowledge systems.”
Muusha added that the 96 projects are targeting wetland rehabilitation, environmental education and sustainable livelihoods.
“We are moving away from policing communities to working with them. When communities understand the value of wetlands, they become the first line of defence against degradation.”
He warned against unsustainable practices such as stream bank cultivation and illegal sand abstraction.
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Chief Nerumedzo said traditional leaders had a responsibility to safeguard natural resources.
“As custodians of the land, we cannot allow our wetlands to disappear,” he said.
“Our culture teaches us that certain areas are sacred and must be protected.
“We are reinforcing those values among our people.”
Under the programme, communities are being trained in sustainable land-use practices, wetland rehabilitation and climate-smart agriculture to curb degradation caused by uncontrolled grazing and cultivation in sensitive areas.
Masvingo province, which boasts more than 20 000 square kilometres of wetlands, faces increasing pressure from population growth and climate change.
Environmental experts warn that without intervention, wetland degradation can worsen water shortage and threaten livelihoods.
