By Merryweather Chindete
The Combined Harare Residents Association has called for the preservation of Wetlands in Harare.
The call was made during the week at a Climate and Water Policy Dialogue Forum, to discuss climate and water policies and come up with recommendations in view of climate change.
The Dialogue Forum comes at a time when the city is experiencing serious water quantity and quality problems, with serious pollution of the downstream of Lake Chivero – Harare’s main water reservoir.
The water quantity and quality problems in the City have been caused by lack of compliance to and implementation of water and climate policies (laws and judicial decisions) that are aimed at improving access to water in Harare.
Speaking during the meeting, CHRA Acting Director, Reuben Akili attributed the challenges affecting compliance to the laws and judicial decisions in improving access to water in Harare, to political, economic, social, technological and environmental factors.
“There has been rapid exploitation of wetland ecosystems in the City, due to the weakening of enforcement of laws that protect catchment and wetland areas from corruption activities, the increase in population in the city, the growth of the city through housing developments, as Harare sits on a wetland catchment area, the increase in the demand for water outstripping and increased poverty which has promoted unregulated agricultural activities. And this has affected climate change,” said the Acting Director while presenting on the Accountability for Water Research Findings during the meeting.
CHRA acting director Ruben Akili
However, the Environment Committee Chairperson, Councilor Duma warned residents to be aware of fake offer letters for stands in circulation and vowed to take action against residents with houses built on Wetlands in response to climate change, while making a presentation on Water and Environment Policies in Response to Climate Variability Patterns.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which seeks to protect and preserve wetlands. The country has local laws, including the Environmental Management Act 20:27, the EMA gazetted wetlands map and the Environmental Assessment and Ecosystem Protection Regulations of 2007, which also provide for the protection of wetlands.
CHRA calls for the implementation of the laws and the use of the gazetted EMA wetlands map in guiding spatial planning of the City of Harare so that wetlands are protected.
