Harare — IN Gokwe, year after year, scores of people die of malaria as the vast swamps in the area provide fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Instead of rehabilitating the swamps, Government and stakeholders have concentrated on spraying homesteads and pools but the disease still rages on killing more people.

Today, with the blessing of the continued heavy rains pounding most parts of the country, a school in Nemangwe -- Zaroba Primary School -- has come up with a self-sustaining project of growing rice in their marshy areas.

The school has planted a hectare of rice and is expecting to reap two tonnes, which is going to fetch about $600 million, says the school head, Mr Nephas Mhangami.

Although Gokwe is Zimbabwe's main cotton-growing area, Mr Mhangami found it worthwhile to grow rice in the wetlands arguing that the crop does not require much labour and yet generates huge profits.

"It is easy to grow and cultivate rice. No chemicals are needed and you don't need as much labour for weeding as cotton does, yet it pays more than the latter," says Mr Mhangami.

"A farmer can decide on the price he or she can sell the product for, which is impossible with cotton and he can keep some for subsistence."

Since wetlands can hold water for lengthy periods, they are ecologically, economically and socially important in many ways for the continued existence of human beings.

People may not place much value and respect on the important role played by wetlands, but they are among the most productive ecosystems in any environment, according to studies that have been conducted the world over.

Zimbabwe boasts of over 260 000 hectares of wetlands yet only 30 000 hectares are being put to good use.

Farmers in areas with wetlands are able to grow and supply the urban areas with fresh fruits, vegetables and farm produce all year round.

The world's acknowledgment of wetlands resulted in the "Ramsar Declaration of the World Wetlands Day" on February 2, 1971, in Iran and every year on that date people across the globe take time to reflect and create awareness on the socio-cultural and ecological importance of wetlands in their lives.

People celebrate this day reflecting on the wetlands' importance to irrigators, farmers, city slickers, greens, tourists and the general members of community groups.

At this year's occasion, Tourism and Environment Minister Cde Francis Nhema stressed the need for sustainable use of the country's wetlands, especially the 30 000 hectares that are being cultivated in the communal areas.

"Livestock also graze on wetlands. Some people get their income from selling products like baskets, mats and brooms using water reeds and grass," said Cde Nhema adding that "culturally, wetlands are often considered sacred."

Cde Nhema said dumping of waste, cultivation and use of chemical fertilizers inundates wetlands in Zimbabwe and in other developing countries.

These activities which are done illegally resulting in serious pollution of water resources. He warned people to desist from traditional activities that have negative impact on water sources and wetlands such as streambank, wetland, hilltop and slope cultivation among other things.

"Wetlands should be utilised in such a way that they benefit the present generations while maintaining their potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations," said Cde Nhema.

The minister's sentiments were also echoed by Mr Mhangami, a strong advocate of sustainable use of wetlands, who says crops such as sugarcane and madhumbe should be considered in areas that hold water for long periods.

"There is great need to give full protection of these wetlands and the agricultural extension officers should be urged to work closely with farmers and advise them accordingly on the sustainable use of the sacred livelihood sources for the benefit of the country at large," says Mr Mhangami.

Unlike a creek that tends to dry out quickly, a wetland drains slowly and hence, retains waters that would otherwise run off. They often form significant fender zones and visual screens between different landscapes and waterways.

Fender zones can be useful to reduce runoff from surrounding land, the amount of sediments, nutrients and contaminants entering wetlands, the effects of browsing animals, the degree of invasion by pest plant species and the impacts of drainage.

Wetlands also hold floodwaters or runoff, reducing downstream flood peaks which could otherwise cause erosion and flood damage in the catchment areas. They provide valuable grazing for livestock, while during droughts, wetlands provide feed when other areas are depleted, according to findings by ecologists. For grazing however, the challenge is to use them for benefit without permanently degrading their ecological values, as prolonged intensive grazing on some areas may adversely affect the ecology of these wetlands.

Wetlands are also useful for scientific researches because they act as storehouses of knowledge about past ecological communities and climatic sequences.

Much of the scientific work however, is looking at present conditions in order to gain a better understanding of how wetlands function.

Studies are being conducted on the ecology and behaviour of water birds, fish, frogs and insects, as well as plant ecology. The Government and all stakeholders should consider investing and supporting communal farmers utilising this natural resource to enhance maize, wheat, sugar and rice production something that improves the country's food security position. If these areas can hold water for a long duration then in times of drought, maize producers can seek refuge in wetlands.

With wetlands available on a large-scale in the country, it is imperative for Zimbabwe to devise strategies on how its farmers can effectively utilise wetlands to increase cereal production.

And, with new ecological findings, it is amazing that something that people in the past thought was useless, now turns out to be an important natural resource for fighting hunger and poverty.