The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has called on both rural and urban local authorities to protect the country’s wetlands to ensure that they serve their purpose.
EMA provincial monitoring officer for Manicaland, Earnest Marange, said it is critical to educate local authorities and members of the public on the importance of wetlands in the ecosystem. He said:
Wetlands have come under threat in both the rural and urban areas owing to farming and construction activities.
We, therefore, would like to urge local authorities to preserve them when they do their civil planning.
Wetlands are areas that are typically areas saturated flooded by water either permanently or seasonally.
According to an online source, the benefits of wetland include fish and wildlife habitats, natural water quality improvement, flood storage, shoreline erosion protection, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation, as well as reducing flood damage and preserving water quality.