Wetlands are ecologically sensitive areas which are a haven to many species – flora and fauna. Many countries are stepping up efforts in order to ensure that degradation of wetlands is prevented. Zimbabwe is in the process of developing National Guidelines on the Sustainable Management of Wetlands. Speaking at a recent consultative workshop, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) indicated that the guidelines would be necessary in order to address challenges the country is facing with regards to the wetlands.
In recent years Zimbabwe has seen the emergence of housing developments on wetlands and this has also caused dire consequences in the receiving ecosystems. Environmentalists and developers have been at loggerheads as to whether priority should be placed on “preservation” or “conservation”.
Die-hard environmental experts and nature-focused organisations believe that wetlands must not be disturbed at all costs whereas development practitioners propose a balanced and sustainable utilisation approach. The debate is never ending and therefore, it is necessary to come up with guidance as to how wetlands should be managed.
The position on how wetlands are managed varies from country to country and there is no one size fits all. As countries discuss the interactions of humans with wetlands, it is necessary to consider the economic value of wetlands and the services that they offer. Furthermore, it is necessary to check whether resilient infrastructure is available. Local authorities have a key role to play in stopping approval of developments that encroach into wetlands. Stakeholders drawn from government, civil society, private sector, local authorities and research institutions concur that wetlands are key for ecosystem balance The Environmental Management Act 20:27 recognises wetlands as ecologically sensitive areas.
At the international level the Ramsar Convention provides a framework of protecting wetlands across the world. As a result some wetlands are gazetted in the Ramsar Conventions and signatories of the convention are bound to respect the areas classified as wetlands by the convention.