By Christopher Makaza

Zimbabwe should double its efforts to protect and rehabilitate its environment to address challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation which now threatens food security and nutrition, President Mnangagwa has said.

Addressing delegates during the joint African Environmental Day (AED), World Wildlife Day (WWD) and the National Clean up commemorations at Lake Chivero in Harare today, President Mnangagwa strongly warned industrialists and other stakeholders to avoid discharging their raw effluent into Lake Chivero and other water bodies.

“Zimbabwe like many other countries face challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation which now threatens food security and nutrition. In view of this undesirable ecological trend, we must now double our efforts to protect and rehabilitate our environment,” he said.

President Mnangagwa revealed that the government is running a national agro forestry programme which promotes the extensive planting of trees.

“This is envisaged to have a positive impact on the environment and the associated challenges. Equally communities are set to also benefit from the economic nutritional value of the programme. Let me reiterate the need for all of us to desist from the culture of littering to prevent the negative consequences which result from the filth practices of littering,” he said.

President Mnangagwa highlighted that the AED was designed by the African Union (AU) to raise awareness of the environmental pressing challenges facing the continent of Africa and that the AU adopted a decision calling for the joint celebrations of the AED and the Wangari Matai Day in recognition of Kenyan environmentalist.

A forestry Commission official, Lois Radzire said people should take clean-up days seriously and also embark on tree planting and avoid land degradation and desertification.

“Today is a special day where we spare our time to clean our surroundings. Lake Chivero is a tourist resort area hence should be kept clean. It has a lot of dirty, full of empty bottles and plastic containers and waste discharge as it is situated downstream.

“We urge our farmers especially tobacco farmers to continue planting trees replacing those they use to cure their tobacco crop and we also urge people to desist from starting veld fires as they destroy the environment,” he said.