Ministries partner to reduce veld fires
Ministries partner to reduce veld fires
02 July 2013
published by www.zbc.co.zw
Zimbabwe — The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management has partnered the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in the harvesting of grass which can be used as hay for livestock in dry areas in a move aimed at reducing the spread of veld fires.
The project will see a deliberate programme of harvesting grass to make fodder banks for livestock in drought prone areas such as Masvingo and Matabeleland.
Apart from providing the much-needed hay in those pasture deficient areas, cutting the grass has been touted as a method to reduce veld fires which are usually fuelled by tall grass.
Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema told the ZBC News that the vast destruction and loss of life caused every year by veld fires has inspired his ministry to put in place a number of new strategies to reduce fire incidents among them hay cutting and the increase of fire guards from 9 metres to 18 metres wide.
Analysts say the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management requires government funding to help educate and raise awareness to reduce veld fire incidents as the ministry is falling short of its mandate to protect and conserve the environment.
For the 2013 fiscal year, the environment ministry tabled a US$6 million budget for consideration by the Ministry of Finance.
The budget was to cover key areas such as the reduction in veldfires, wildlife conservation, environmental education and awareness campaigns, greening of the environment through the planting of trees by the Forestry Commission as well as addressing pollution.
However, not much was achieved.
In 2012 it is estimated that veld fires were responsible for the death of 16 people, destruction of property worth millions of dollars.
One million three hundred thousand hectares of land were destroyed, while 1861 fire incidents were recorded throughout the country.
Veld fires destroy plantations, pastures and crops, reduce land cover thus exposing the land to agents of accelerated soil erosion which leads to siltation of rivers and dams.
They are also responsible for changes in the hydrological cycle, increase in surface run off and modifications in various ecological processes.
