The Sunday Mail
Kudakwashe Ruzive
THE Environment Management Agency (EMA) in conjunction with other stakeholders, has intensified veld fire management awareness campaigns around the country to achieve the minimum target of 25 percent reduction in losses caused by veld fires.
The fire season officially started on July 31 and ends on October 31.
Last week, two minors, aged five and six, died in an inferno after a veld fire swept through Mitchel Primary School in Hurungwe.
The blaze razed three staff houses, destroying property and grain.
Cabinet last month revealed that veld fires remain the biggest threat to Zimbabwe’s forests, pastures and crop lands.
EMA environmental education and publicity manager Mrs Amkela Sidange told The Sunday Mail that the agency was working collectively with Government, farmers, land owners and communities.
“A total of 30 449, 6 km fire guards were constructed in 2 279 farms and institutions across the country. A total of 647 357 bundles of thatch grass and 644 357 hay bales have been harvested in order to reduce biomass on 228 864, 75 hectares. Biomass provides the fuel load which propels veld fires.
“Communities were supported with bee hives for 62 bee keeping projects as a way of encouraging them to protect forests from veld fires and at the same time providing a livelihood,” said Mrs Sidange.
EMA has issued more than 4 582 fire prevention orders for the construction of fire guards since the veld fire season commenced. It has also conducted meetings with stakeholders to raise awareness on veld fires.
The Agency has been running programmes at national level since the beginning of the year, preparing communities to protect their ecosystems, farms, fields, and range-lands.
Due to good rains received during the 2020-2021 summer cropping season, the country is generally in the high to extremely high risk of veld fire outbreaks.
Mrs Sidange said this year’s theme for the prevention of veld fires was ‘Veld fires and Food Security-Protect the harvest’, highlighting the need to safeguard this year’s bumper harvest.
