…as World Soil Day Commemorations approach
By Conrad Mwanawashe
IN line with the World Soil Day key objectives, Zimbabwe has lined up various initiatives aimed at raising awareness on the importance of soil, a critical resource that defines nations and life in all forms, according to Engineer Edwin Samuel Zimunga, Chief Director of Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development and Soil Conservation.
The department falls under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
“There’s a lot that has been earmarked for stakeholders to do a lot of capacity building, training and awareness raising. We have actually pinned down a very robust soil conservation programme into 2025, where conservation works are going to be taking place,” said Eng Zimunga.
“I think one way or the other it has been because of lack of knowledge. So, the first thing really is the awareness campaign that we are undertaking, we are going to be doing in Zimbabwe going into the future. Also, that old adage of coming up with conservation contours and construction of contours is another critical issue that we have been looking at.
We are also looking at ways of abating a lot of erosion by bringing in weirs, as a climate smart way of proofing and making sure that our soils are not washed away,” added Eng Zimunga.
He was speaking ahead of the World Soil Day commemorations held annually on December 5 to raise awareness about the importance of soil and the need to protect and sustainably manage it.
According to Eng Zimunga, soil is a “critical resource that defines nation and life in all forms within that particular nation”.
“It is by the soil that you identify a country. For you to be called Zimbabwe is the soil. So, the United Nations came up with a charter for managing the soil, which is called the Soil Charter, and as a nation we’re looking at the resilience and the sustainability of managing that soil,” he said.
The theme for this year’s World Soil Day is: Caring for Soils, Measure, Monitor and Manage.
Soil is vital for human well-being, food security, and supporting livelihoods. It plays a key role in maintaining biodiversity, reducing erosion and pollution, and improving water filtration
Government is also looking at the reduction in the use of acidic fertilisers. Currently we have a new development which the Centre for African Fertiliser has brought on board to reduce the acidity that our conventional fertilisers bring to the soil,” added Zimunga.
“I’m glad that our curriculum now makes sure that as early as primary school level we have an understanding that we need to take good care of our soils through the agriculture curriculum. And when you look at the way we have programmed this particular year’s celebrations, it’s taken every school on board to say give us all the innovations from your children who then have a competition level at village, at ward, at district, at province level.
“On the big day we will then see a reward of the same young children that have come up with the best ways to measure, monitor and manage our soils in that manner.”
