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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter

Close to 900 farmers and landowners have been given environmental protection orders compelling them to put in place adequate fire preventive measures by the end of this month.

Environmental Management Agency (EMA) publicity and education manager Ms Amkela Sidange said the agency wanted to reduce veld fires by at least a quarter this year and ensure aspirations of the National Development Strategy (NDS1) are achieved.

Ms Sidange said failure to comply with the orders could see farmers and landowners prosecuted.

“We encourage all Zimbabweans especially farmers to take this opportunity to make fire guards as a way of preventive measures on veld fires. We want to reduce the veld fires by 25 percent,” she said.

“Let us join our hands and work together to fight veld fires because it remains a major environmental and socio-economic threat to Zimbabwe as the country continues to lose considerable amount of vegetation to veld fires each year.”

Risks are higher this year because the good rains in the last season that allowed a lot more vegetation to grow.

Veld fires remain the most threatening factor on Zimbabwe’s forests, pastures, crop lands, property, infrastructure and food security.

Veld fire catastrophes have become a serious concern and huge tracts of vegetation on over one million hectares are destroyed by veld fire in Zimbabwe yearly.

Recently, the agency warned that 89 percent of the country is at high to extreme risk of veld fires, compared to 34 percent last year.

The risk part of the year stretches from July 31 up to October 31 each year, although late rains can see the danger continuing into November.

Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces are at extreme risk, while Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands and Masvingo are this year at high risk to veld fires rather than their normal low to medium risk.

Last year, EMA recorded 30 percent decrease in veld fires although four people lost lives in the infernos.