The Harare Wetlands Trust (HWT) has appealed to President Emerson Mnangagwa to intervene on wetlands mapping, policy and reforms amid concerns of widespread developments on the remaining ecosystem.
In a letter to the President, HWT raised concern over developments on 50 percent of wetlands areas which has seen the flooding of many houses built on marshes.
”Spurred by recent events, particularly the flooding of many houses situated in wetland ecosystems we are excited to see growing recognition of the need to immediately halt any further development on wetland ecosystems, and of the strong impetus towards improving the protection of remaining wetlands throughout the country
”This is manifesting, in the short term, through speedy finalization of three critical documents and processes, comprising the mapping and gazetting of wetlands, the development of a specific wetland policy, and the development of wetlands guidelines to enhance the protection of wetland ecosystems,” HWT said.
HWT has been working with these issues for quite some time and providing technical input and support to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) towards developing these essential instruments. In support of rendering these tools as effective as possible, HWT would like to raise the following points of concern
