Suburban
Percy Toriro
The past few World Wetlands Day celebrations have been marked by concerns over shortages of water as wetlands were being destroyed by developments particularly in urban areas. This year, nature fought back and we are witnessing the other side, flooding in the wetlands. Both phenomena serve to demonstrate the fragility and importance of wetlands as major ecosystems. This article serves as a reminder of the importance of wetlands and the need for careful planning around them.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Wetlands and Water Inseparable for Life’, very relevant for us as Zimbabweans. Wetlands are our sources of water. They serve countless other ecosystem functions, but in this article I want to dwell on the importance of wetlands in providing, storing, and managing water. In our region, as in most parts of the world, there is growing water scarcity. This is more visible in cities. In Southern Africa, it is documented that as many as 90 percent of cities suffer periodic water shortages. And this is mainly caused by poor stewardship of the environment, in other words, poor planning. With rising population, this will predictably get worse if we don’t plan properly.
To drive home the importance and centrality of planning in wetlands management and ultimately water management, let me re-state the mission of planning as a profession. In simple terms planning is the art and science of providing different land uses after carefully assessing the need for each use. The output of this process is Master and Local Plans or layout plans. On a day to day basis, planners ensure that the measures set in the plans are strictly followed. The planners also periodically lead the process of reviewing the plans so that they continue to reflect society’s needs and aspirations. So whatever anyone does, be it building a house, a shop, setting up a market, siting a bus terminus, or where they worship, is determined by planners.
Such people are important and their advice and guidance must be respected by all citizens including politicians. The planners must also understand not just technical planning, but how it interacts with nature including foreseeing and avoiding potential disasters. This year has exposed the critical need for disaster planning in settlements: The above average rains as well as the cyclones in Manicaland are a clear evidence of the future. To manage that, new skills must be sought in specialist areas such as GIS, hazard mapping, risk assessment, and disaster planning. Understanding wetlands is important in all this. So indeed, wetlands and water are inseparable for life-we need water, the life giving liquid from wetlands, and we must manage disasters such as floods to save lives and property. The important lesson is, let’s plan better by managing our wetlands better.
Dr Percy Toriro is a Planning Practitioner and Academic. He is also a consultant with African Centre for Cities and Harare Wetlands Trust. He can be contacted on [email protected]
The article first appeared on the Harare Wetlands Trust website
