ZIMBABWE: Veld fires stoke food production fears

veld fires affects food production

Harare, 29 September 2009 (IRIN) - The increasing incidence of wild fires is eroding food production in Zimbabwe, which remains a food insecure country despite a turnaround in agricultural production.

The Environment Management Agency, a government department, said recently that veld fires were being reported mainly in areas settled by new farmers, the recipients of President Robert Mugabe's fast-track land reform programme, which began in 2000 and has led to more than 4,000 white commercial farms being redistributed to landless blacks.

About 46,000 hectares of arable land has gone up in flames in recent months. Environment Africa (EA), a non-governmental organization promoting environmental management and biodiversity practices, said the capacity to fight wild fires had also been diminished in the past decade as a consequence of the country's economic contraction.

"The ability to put out fires is currently not there, and it will take some time before those charged with safeguarding the environment can respond to fire outbreaks timeously and effectively," EA spokesperson Deliwe Utete told IRIN.

"We are poorly equipped as a country, even though we are aware that there are moves by the meteorological department to source disaster identification and prevention technology." She said the increase in wildfires had been exacerbated by the nature of land redistribution.

"The patterns of ownership that resulted from the fast-track land reform programme make it easy for fires to spread - plots have been carved up to accommodate several farmers on a single plot, and the new occupants no longer prioritize putting up structures that guard against fire outbreaks."

In the first quarter of 2009, nearly seven million Zimbabweans were relying on emergency food aid, but this number is expected to decrease to around 2.8 million.

The land reform programme that sparked the country's decade of economic shrinkage, as well as dry weather patterns and political instability, are blamed for turning the country from a net food exporter to a donor-dependent state.

The formation of a unity government in February 2009 is gradually turning the country's fortunes around, although analysts believe it will be many years before Zimbabwe recovers.

Utete said the new farmers did not appreciate the importance of firebreaks and the situation was compounded by the absence of environment officers, who used to educate communities about fire management.

Denford Chimbwanda, president of the Grain Cereals Producers Association (GCPA), blamed government and the resettled farmers for not doing enough to prevent the fires. 

For more info: irin africa:veld fires

GOVERNMENT FAILING TO TAKE ACTION

"The government does not seem to be interested in fire prevention any more, and for as long as tough action is not taken against offenders, they will continue to cause veld fires, which are worse this year than in previous years. Even if we received good rains this year, the amount of food that we should have produced has been reduced before the farming season starts," Chimbwanda told IRIN.

The government does not seem to be interested in fire prevention any more, and for as long as tough action is not taken against offenders, they will continue to cause veld fires, which are worse this year than in previous years

"Our members from across the country have reported losing inputs, food reserves, and draught power [animals used for ploughing] in the fires that have also killed people, while livestock will have nowhere to graze because pastures have been destroyed."

He said it was not possible to quantify the losses, but "Many households will be forced to buy food using scarce resources because of these veld fires.

Innocent Makwiramiti, a former chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, now an economist based in the capital, Harare, was not optimistic about any meaningful response to the veld fires.

"The government is currently broke and it would be difficult to deploy these committees effectively. In any case, the damage is already done, and attention should be put on how best to help those farmers whose preparations have been adversely affected by the veld fires."

CREATE AN OUTDOOR HAVEN

Garden landscaping ideas can be as varied as you want them to be. It is a good idea to think out of the box and create a garden that is perhaps different from the usual spaces one is used to seeing. Flowers, carpet grass, pebbled pathways, fountains and waterfalls are essentials that are incorporated into a garden. But how about building a garden that reflects your personality!

 

HERE I AM JUST GIVING A HINT OF HOW TO MAKE A GOOD GARDEN OR PARK AT YOUR HOME OR LODGE

# Theme gardens
A garden with a theme has character, with every facet keeping with the theme. The best way to work on a theme is to plan on paper how you would want your garden to look. Be realistic; if you have a small garden don’t try and fit in too many elements; as that would be a recipe for disaster. However, if space is not a restriction you can create include various elements without the fear of making the garden over crowded.

# Catch some sunshine

Study the garden carefully to know which parts get maximum sunlight. Allocate that portion of the garden for flower beds as flowering plants will need a fair amount of sunlight. However, if you are keen on creating a space where you can enjoy a bit of sunshine then you will need to integrate an area in the garden for the same. Mark a circular or rectangle spot where you can set out wicker garden furniture or wrought iron tables and chairs. It is best that this area is made hard standing as it is easy to clean and keeps away ants and bugs. It will also prevent furniture from digging into the soft garden soil.

# Perfect lighting

 

Strategically placed lamps can add a lot of drama into a garden. Proper lighting can make a garden come alive once the sun goes down. There are different kinds of lights that can be picked. Floor lights along the pathway can give it definition. Two feet high lamps are ideal for highlighting flowers and greenery planted around the garden. Avoid bright lights in the garden and focus on soft and subtle lighting.Visualize how you want your garden to be and shop for accessories at leisure. Check around different stores before you finally decide on what you want in your garden. Take time to create a garden, where you will be able to relax and entertain.

YOUR HOME AMONGST HOMES.  IT JUST NEEDS A GARDEN

INSTRUMENTS FOR TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Environmental

HANNA Instruments offers a variety of EPA approved testing equipment for environmental testing, field sampling, and on-site laboratory operations and management. Hanna's Environmental section offers multi parameters, testers and photometers needed for environmental analysis.

Portable Meters
Photometers
pH/EC/TDS/Temp Testers
Chemical Test Kits
Probes & Electrodes
Solutions

DESIGN ENVIRONMENT

picture by Bruce Adams

If you play computer games you have come across environmental design whether you know it or not. This design aspect is the intentional placement of thematically colored objects and terrain to achieve an aesthetic. For example, a designer on an MMO may want to have a region, lets say a jungle, that is arrayed with different levels of monsters for the Ifdifferent regions that are being built. The designer has painted the terrain and placed orange colored plants and flora where the easiest monsters and creatures are found. The designer then uses the color red to signify the more dangerous areas of the jungle where the players may have a hard time and possibly die. The layout of the jungle area can then be mixed and matched with these different colors to signify to the player, at a subconscious level, that orange is easier then red, and the player will almost always know what to avoid to stay alive. This also applies to sound engineering and placement as well. Certain sounds are interpreted as soothing and calming, while others are menacing. Of course, the designer or sound engineer need to make sure not to have repetitive sound or music looping constantly, that leads to the player turning the sound off. Good environmental design is seldom noticed but is always a needed element to a good game. The picture seen below is of Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia, which is a real world example of environmental design.