By MWANGALA KAPANDULA –

IT is peak hour in the morning, in the city of Lusaka and most routes leading to the Central Business District (CDB) are congested with traffic, as motorists are racing against time to make it to their respective places of work in time.
Traffic is moving at a snail’s pace a thing which is agitating some motorists who are honking in frustration.
To hawkers, it is a time for them to parade their merchandise as they advertise to motorists who are waiting in long traffic queues.
This is a common scenario in the city and it comes with emissions from cars, trucks and industries which pollute the air and off course noise pollution.
As one drives out of the city away from the hustle and bustle, the pollution and noise decreases.
For individuals intending to enjoy a serene environment, the exceptional beauty of Lochinvar which is one of the national parks in Zambia is the place to be as the air is fresh, and noise pollution is unheard of.
It is located 45 kilometres (km) away from Monze town in Southern Province with over 420 recorded species in its 420 square km.
The land is blessed with hot springs and other natural aquatic and surface life such as fish and wildlife respectively with a peaceful environment.
Communities around the wetlands have for a long time benefited on what this beauty atmosphere has to offer for their social and economic sustainability.
Sadly, this rich natural tourist site is under threat due to human activity posing a threat to habitants and economic survival.
As the world grapples with climate change, wetlands become an important element to mitigating some of its effects hence the need to protect and preserve them.
According to Jorge Ramos, a Conservation International Manager for Oceans and Climate, wetlands have the ability to clean the water that flows through them, mitigate large flood events and recharge underground aquifers.
However, Dr Ramos laments that wetlands are rapidly being replaced for agriculture or urban development, which takes away some of the ecosystem services that provide for various species, including humans.
Globally, parties to the 1971 Convention adopted February 2, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, as the day in which wetlands awareness is raised on the important role wetlands play on our planet.
Zambia is party to the 1971 Convention and commemorates the day annually. This year’s commemoration was held in Lockinvar National Park, Monze district in Southern Province.
Officiating at the event, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Elijah Muchima said Government and other stakeholders chose Lochinvar National Park as a place for commemorating World Wetlands Day because of various threats to the wetlands in the park.
Some of the threats include a semi-terrestrial and aquatic alien species known as the Mimosa Pigra.
The Mimosa Pigra’s thorny nature makes it impossible for wild animals to make their way through the thicket to access grazing land and water.
Mr Muchima mentioned other challenges apart from the Mimosa Pigra as the expansion of human settlements in wetland areas, mining, damming, draining and channeling, climate change, inadequate financing among others.
‘’All these have a huge potential of reducing the ability of wetlands to contribute to supporting local communities and the economy at large,” he said.
To address this challenge of the Mimosa Pigra, stakeholders such as the International Crane Foundation have cleared 3000 hectares and created seasonal jobs in the last five years.
Southern African Floodplain Regional Manager International Crane Foundation Mwape Sichilongo said his organisation was committed to restoring the wetlands through various interventions among them working with 20 schools, four of the seven chiefdoms, and directly reaching 4000 community members.
Mr Sichilongo explained that an integrated approach under a sustainability framework, a long term perspective, funding and capacity for effective conservation on the ground is needed.
Community integration is vital in the restoration and preserving the wetlands hence for this occasion, chiefs Nalubamba, Choongo, Hamusonde and Chieftainess Muezwa were part of the commemorations.
Chief Nalubamba, who is the Chairperson of the Southern Province Chiefs, lamented the degraded grazing pasture for wildlife and the decreasing stock.
He observed that wetlands had more competing interests to satisfy the needs of people for instance, the use of water for agriculture among others.
The Chief wondered how the needs could be reconciled between those of the people and the wetlands.
The traditional leader, however, on behalf of other traditional leaders pledged commitment to working with stakeholders in order to restore the wetlands as they are of benefit to the local people.
World Wide Fund Zambia (WWF) Acting Conservation Manager Moses Nyirenda, who represented the Country Director Nachila Nkombo, appealed to Government to ensure that the wetlands were protected.
With the theme for this year ‘it’s time for wetlands restoration’, Mr Nyirenda noted that it resonates well with the current scenario where restoration was important.
Ecosystem System Adaptation (EBA) Chief Climate Change Officer in the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Beausic Choongo echoed other stakeholders’ sentiments on the restoration and sensitising people on wetlands and afforestation.
Mr Choongo lamented that forests and wetlands were deteriorating at a fast rate and that ecosystem adaptation project was sensitising communities especially those in wetlands to protect their environment.
“We go to the communities to sensitise them train a few and in return they train what the benefits of wetlands restoration are and they are going to,” he said.
There is need for Government and its partners to implement the strategies set to restore, protect the wetlands for future generations. – ZANIS