Challenges faced in controlling wildland fires in Mazowe A1 resettlement farming areas of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Wildland fires pose a big threat to both flora and fauna. In Zimbabwe an estimated 1 million hectares (ha) are burnt annually. The present study uses multiple sources of information including review of published literature, reports, field observations, questionnaires and interviews to investigate the challenges faced in controlling wildland fires in A1 resettlement farming areas of Zimbabwe. Two sites, ward 24 and 31 in Mazowe District were used as case studies to compile responses from 400 households. The results of the study indicated that issues of education, experience and lack of information in wildland fire management played a role in wildland fire management. In ward 24.6% never attended school, while 30%, 48% and 8% had reached primary education, secondary education and tertiary education respectively.  In ward 31, the highest level of education of the respondents was 8%, 58% and 34% for primary level, secondary level, and tertiary education respectively. The predominant challenge was lack of experience in fire control as 52% of the respondents had never been involved in fire suppression. In addition, lack of information was highlighted as a major cause of wildland fires, as only 35% of respondents had attended fire awareness campaigns. The other challenges included; lack of proper fire fighting equipment, poor volunteerism and poor implementation of policies and regulations. It was concluded that multiple challenges exist in managing wildland fires, and hence more emphasis should be placed in training and equipping communities with fire management skills and provision of fire fighting equipment. A multi-sectoral approach is also recommended for implementation and enforcement of fire management regulations in the resettlement farming areas.