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Prince Sunduzani, Chronicle Reporter
MATOBO Hills, a national monument in Matabeleland South, is under threat from deforestation and the risk of veld fires.

A recent study says there is an urgent need for local and international action to preserve the World Heritage Site.

In its 2018 World Monuments Watch, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) this week said 25 monuments worldwide, including Matobo Hills, face threats as a result of human conflict, natural disasters, climate change and urbanisation.

“Isolated, rural environments face a growing set of challenges, including economic systems that trigger depopulation, leaving ageing residents struggling to maintain the built and natural heritage that define their daily lives. Matobo Hills Cultural Landscape in Zimbabwe, one of the world’s great rock art collections, is threatened by deforestation and  the risk of fires. Through these sites, the 2018 Watch calls for local and international action that will ensure the continuity of a way of life,” the WMF said in a statement.

The World Monuments Watch is aimed at protecting history, preserving memory and strengthening social bonds by bringing international sites and their challenges to an international stage.

In Zimbabwe veld fires continue to be a threat to national forests, destroying livestock and vegetation. Most of the fires are started by hunters and gold panners.

Recently, the Environmental Management Agency national spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata said so far there had been a 25 percent increase in veld fires this year compared to last year.

He said by September 21 this year, 1 484 cases of veld fires had been recorded countrywide compared to 967 cases recorded during the same period last year.

Mr Kangata said 760 000 hectares have already been destroyed by veld fires this year and the worst affected province is Mashonaland West where 266 810 hectares have been destroyed while Matabeleland North is second with 235 230 hectares destroyed. — @princenkosi