My Calling
with
Augustine Mukaro
Over 50 years ago, in 1961, Pope John XXIII reminded the world of the need to care for Creation when he explained, "Genesis relates how God gave two commandments to our first parents: to transmit human life ‘Increase and multiply' and to bring nature into their service ‘Fill the Earth, and subdue it.'
These two commandments are complementary. Nothing is said in the second of these commandments about destroying nature. On the contrary, it must be brought into the service of human life."
Ten years later the world seems to have taken hid of the warning and introduced commemorations of wetlands. In 1971 countries came together to address the loss of wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The Ramsar Convention's broad aims were to halt the loss of wetlands and raising awareness about the important role that wetlands play in our daily lives and survival of humankind in general. We should also assess how best we can sustainably use the wetlands without destroying the resource base.
Today the world is celebrating the Wetlands Day, under the theme: Wetlands and Tourism - a great experience. Zimbabwe has taken the commemorations to Victoria Falls as a way of preparing the country for the hosting of United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly next year. It is also the realisation that responsible tourism can support sustainable management of wetlands whilst the wetlands provide local tourism and recreational opportunities.
People may wonder what a wetland is? It is an area that is covered by water or has waterlogged soils for long periods during the growing season which include mangroves, bogs, swamps and marshes, floodplains and flooded forests, rice-fields, and even coral reefs. The water can be fed by creeks, streams, or even underground springs. The water may be fresh, blackish or saline. The wet conditions make wetlands the most biologically productive ecosystems. Plants growing in wetlands are capable of living in saturated soil conditions and they range from sedges, grasses, reeds and trees such as the mukute.
Over the years, wetlands have played a major role in purifying water, giving rise to a symbiotic connection between a healthy wetland eco-system and human health. Throughout history they have been integral to human survival and development.
The utilisation of these ecosystems is now governed by the Natural Resources Act and the Water Act, which seek to protect them from degradation particularly through cultivation.
The enactment of these restrictive pieces of legislation was a reaction of the governments to the mismanagement of these ecosystems by settler farmers who sought to cultivate wetlands conventionally for purposes of growing crops as maize, wheat and tobacco.
Since these crops do not grow well in areas with high water tables, drainage lines were installed, which caused the drying up of wetlands, soil erosion and the siltation of rivers and dams. Wetlands were then classified as being unsuitable for cultivation and are currently designated as grazing areas. Only in very special but rare cases is permission granted for a farmer to cultivate wetlands.
However, wetlands and their related catchments continue to degrade at an alarming rate and the cultivation of wetlands is increasing without the granted permission from the board. Such encroachment through cultivation, in the absence of technical guidance or traditional experience which has since been forgotten by many, can only result in increased damage.
Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment and provide important range of environmental, social and economic services. They are sponges because which capture, store, and slowly release water over a period of time thereby reducing erosion, control floods and temporarily store water. The wetland becomes a buffer reducing destructive wave energy and controlling the movement of water. One acre of wetlands can store about 1,5 million gallons of water.
Wetlands provide recreational opportunities such as nature study, photography, birdwatching; hiking, boating, fishing, and hunting.People all over the world spend time in wetlands because the beauty provides variety in the landscape and aesthetic nature. They provide a sense of connection to the natural world and suitable for relaxing.
It is estimated that Zimbabwe is endowed with 1,28 million hectares of wetland areas and 20 percent of these are in the communal areas.
In Harare, there is the COSMO wetland in Monavale. The wetland has been preserved well with no cultivation since 2004. The wetland boasts of 233 bird species which indicate biodiversity.
Wetlands are a reliable source of water supply both surface water and groundwater. The water from wetlands eventually flows to rivers and they are a major source of drinking water for humans and animals.
The water used by humans is filtered by wetlands because they trap and remove sediments, neutralise chemical contaminants and absorb excess nutrients from the water as it seeps into the swampy soils in wetlands. The water quality is improved for both for humans and wildlife.
For these reasons wetlands are often used in wastewater treatment processes before water is stored in reservoir.
Friends of the Environment wishes to address deforestation and restoration of forests in all ecosystems. A tree that can be grown where the water table is high is the Mukute tree, known as Waterberry tree in English. The tree's preference is at stream banks or along water courses where fresh water is abundant. Appearance of this tree anywhere shows presence of water. Mukute tree grows in moist conditions sometimes even in water
The Mukute is a medium-sized or tall evergreen tree, 15-30 metres high. The bark varies in subspecies and is greyish-white or silver mottled and smooth in young trees, turning rough, flaky, creamy, light grey, dark brown or black in older trees.
Bark scales in rectangular flakes and produces red, watery sap if cut with a thick angular stem and bundles of fibrous aerial roots.
The leaves are narrow at both ends with a length of 5-17,5 cm and width of 1,3-7.5 cm. Leaves are sometimes slightly wavy and rolled inward with many fine lateral veins, they are grey-green, tough, shiny; fragrant when crushed. The seeds are yellowish to brownish and rounded.
The species regenerates adequately in its natural habitats by seed and coppice. For successful germination and seedling establishment, the seed should come in contact with mineral soil and moisture.
Artificial regeneration is done by direct sowing, seedlings, wildings and coppicing. Germination rates are good with uniform rates of 80-90 percent are attained after 20 to 50 days. Direct sowing into pots is recommended and the planting can be done on raised cleared sites.
The Mukute tree has many uses.The tree produces fruit that is whitish-green when immature, turning to shiny purplish-black and juicy after ripening. The fruit when ripe is pleasant-flavoured. Fruits are perishable hence should be picked from the ground soon after falling. They can also be collected by shaking the branches with hooks. After collection, the fruits should be sown out immediately or seeds will lose viability if they are dried; if this is not possible, fruit can be stored for a few days in moist sawdust and open containers in well ventilated rooms.
The trees' fruit is of medicinal value and can be used as a remedy for dysentery, while a decoction of the bark is used as for diarrhoea treatment. In traditional medicine, liquid from the pounded bark and roots, mixed with water, is used as a purgative.
The tree has flowers that provide good bee forage and promotes pollination.
Flowers are fragrant, creamy white; borne in terminal panicles forming heads which are spaced in branched heads with the red or pink tips and are popular with bees, which results in a very good honey flow.
The handsome evergreen tree can be preserved in gardens for its deep shadeneeded for domestic stock and wildlife.
Mukute provides reddish-brown, hard, strong, durabletimber that is easy to work and is suitable for poles, posts, building and bridge construction. The tree is said to be fire resistant.
Mukute controls erosion since it can withstand extended periods of waterlogging and can be used to stabilise river and stream banks.
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form