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Rejoyce Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter

ENVIRONMENTAL Management Agency (EMA) has partnered Hillside Dams Conservancy in implementing a high-impact project on wetland restoration and donated some equipment to remove lantana camara and other invasive plant species within the vicinity of the recreational facility.

The donated equipment include mattocks, bow saws and loppers.
The high-impact project involves waste management, eradication of invasive species, conservation works, fire management and environmental education.

EMA hands over equipment to Hillside Dams Conservancy to help eradicate lantana camara

Lantana camara is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family native to the American tropics. It is also a very adaptable species that can inhibit a wide variety of ecosystems.

According to EMA reports, lantana camara is part of the invasive species of plants from other regions of the world that do not belong in their new environment and have the potential to cause harm to the environment.

It says such invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and destroy biodiversity. EMA also says such species compete with native organisms for limited resources resulting in fundamental disruptions of the ecosystems.

The main invasive species in the province are lantana camara, Mexican daisy, water hyacinth and opuntia fulgida.
These species have excessive water consumption properties, alter vegetation structure, increase fuel loads and change fire behaviour which can lead to soil damage and erosion leading to siltation thereby affecting water quality.

EMA Bulawayo provincial manager Mrs Sithembisiwe Ndlovu said wetlands are being degraded each day because of cultivation, pollution and invasive species among other causes.

“We identified quite a number of environmental problems and one of them is the issue of invasive species that include lantana camara. The other challenge is solid waste management,” she said.

Mrs Ndlovu said Bulawayo has a challenge of solid waste management and this is also affecting Hillside Dams because the flow of water has been affected by blocked drainage system.

She said the handover of the equipment is part of complementing efforts by Hillside Dams Conservancy in removing the lantana camara

Environmental Management Authority (EMA)

Mrs Ndlovu urged Bulawayo residents to help in the eradication of lantana camara from Hillside Dams by removing the plant from their yards.

Hillside Dams Conservancy general manager, Mr Muziwakhe Nhlamba said: “We are grateful to EMA for donating the equipment, which will go a long way in our efforts to eradicate the invasive species within the Hillside Dams Conservancy.”
He said his organisation looked forward to working with EMA on the wetland restoration project which will benefit the community.

EMA conducted a mapping exercise on lantana camara in Bulawayo from January 31 to February 3 during which a total of 27 points were mapped with at least 5,5 hectares of land invaded by lantana camara while 10,6 hectares were cleared. -@ReeSibanda