Zimbabwe: Importance of Wetlands.

Posted December 22, 2017

AN OVERVIEW ON WETLANDS.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The List of Wetlands of International Importance included 2,266 Ramsar Sites in March 2016 covering over 2.1 million square kilometres globally.

Convention’s mission

“The conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.

ZIMBABWE’S WETLANDS

Wetlands are an important component of Zimbabwe’s environment. This is evidenced by Zimbabwe being a Signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of 1971. Zimbabwe has domesticated provisions for the protection of wetlands under the Environmental Management Act (Cap 20;27), Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 on Environmental Management (Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulations and Government Gazette 380 of 2013.

In Zimbabwe wetlands are also known as:

Matoro/ mapani (Shona);Amaxhaphozi (Ndebele).

Designated Ramsar Protected Wetlands Sites in Zimbabwe:

Victoria Falls
Driefontein Grasslands
Middle Zambezi/Mana Pools
Lake Chivero
Monavale Vlei (Harare)
Chinhoyi Caves
Cleverland Dam

Wetlands are important for a number of reasons.

They perform environmental functions, including:

helping to reduce the impacts from storm damage and flooding
maintaining good water quality in rivers
recharging groundwater
storing carbon
helping to stabilise climatic conditions
controlling pests
acting as important sites for biodiversity.

Wetlands also provide significant economic, social and cultural benefits.

Wetlands are important for primary products such as agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
Many coastal and inland wetlands are popular for tourism and recreational activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, camping and bird-watching, e.g, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Okavango Delta in Botswana.
Wetlands have Indigenous cultural significance, historical significance and are important for science and education.

Drivers of wetland degradation in Zimbabwe:

Our wetlands are under threat, not from natural causes but from human activities. These include: