Bulawayo Minister leads World  Environment Day commemoration Minister Judith Ncube

Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube has implored members of the public to be stewards of the environment and live in harmony with nature.

Environmental Management Agency (EMA)

On Tuesday, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) hosted a belated joint commemoration of the World Environment Day as well as the Desertification and Drought Day at Hillside Teachers College.

The first World Environment Day was held in 1974 with the theme “Only One Earth,” and since then it has been observed yearly on June 5.

The World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed every year since 1994 on June 17.

The commemorations at Hillside Teachers College were in the form of exhibitions by tertiary institutions in Bulawayo who went out of their way to spread awareness on the need to protect the environment.

They showcased various measures on land conservation.

Forestry Commission

The Forestry Commission led tree planting at the institution’s garden.

EMA Bulawayo Provincial Manager Mrs Sithembisiwe Ndlovu said the day is meant to encourage people to shy away from activities that contribute to desertification.

She said in Bulawayo activities that include sand poaching and cutting down of trees, especially in areas where there is no electricity, damage the environment.

“We planted trees to remind each other of measures that could be taken.

We had institutions of higher learning exhibiting, showing us other measures to consider to take good care of our environment.

Members of Agritex told us of how we can conserve the environment when planting crops, school of mines explained ways of reducing climate change, deforestation and methods of mining that can be done.

The Forestry Commission also encouraged us on reafforestation.

Therefore, the exhibitors managed to create awareness in various ways,” she said.

Minister Ncube, in a speech read on her behalf by the Local Government and Public Works deputy director Ms Beaulah Gwaze, said for people to live in harmony with nature, there is need to protect the environment.

Environment

“We need to protect the environment we are living in by protecting the forests which include trees that provide us with basic means to survive such as oxygen to breathe, timber, oils and many other products which also boost our economy.

A healthy environment also promotes nature-based tourism.

Our environment is what houses and helps our ecosystem to grow.

If we don’t protect our environment animals, crops and humans will be all in danger,” she said.

Minister Ncube said the most productive land in the city has been lost to illegal sand poaching in and on the outskirts of Bulawayo in suburbs such as Pumula, Cowdray Park, Magwegwe, and Robert Sinyoka.

Natural species have suffered as a result of land degradation.

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