A local civic group has raised concerns over the destruction of a gazetted wetland in Tafara’s Gosden area, near Mabvuku Cemetery, where construction of residential housing is reportedly underway despite environmental protections. The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) said in a statement on Thursday that the City of Harare had approved the housing project, and…
A South African-led initiative to curb the illegal rhino horn trade by embedding radioactive isotopes into rhino horns has entered its operational phase, following six years of research and safety testing. Known as the Rhisotope Project, the effort involves implanting low-level radioisotopes into rhino horns to make them detectable by nuclear security scanners at international…
A new initiative in Zimbabwe is training young people and community leaders to push back against environmental degradation and mismanagement in the country’s mining sector. The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a civil society organisation, has launched its first-ever Natural Resource Governance and Accountability School. Held under the theme “Re-Imagining the Future — Approaches…
The government of Zimbabwe has launched two projects focused on sustainable soil and water management, as the country grapples with rising climate pressures affecting agriculture and food security. The new projects “Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management in the Global South” and “National Water Roadmap towards 2030 Sustainable Development Goals”, are backed by the UN’s…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for a global shift in mindset and policy to protect the world’s wetlands, describing them as vital ecosystems under growing threat. This was said during the opening of the COP15 summit of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls, Mnangagwa said wetlands provide essential services including water purification, flood…
Environmental leaders at the COP15 summit on wetlands have called for stronger enforcement mechanisms to prevent the continued degradation of wetlands, as countries face growing challenges in managing and restoring these critical ecosystems. The Global Wetland Report states that since 1970, wetlands have declined by 0.52% per year, amounting to the loss of over 411…
Land barons have illegally occupied more than 140 sites across Harare, prompting the city to turn to the courts in a bid to stop rampant and unregulated developments, parliament heard on Monday. City officials say the capital is experiencing a surge in illegal construction, including on ecologically sensitive wetlands and along roadways, with legal challenges…
Africa is facing an alarming rate of wetland degradation, with losses that may surpass the global average of 35% since 1970, warns Dr Julie Mulonga, Director of Wetlands International East Africa. She warned of widespread environmental and economic consequences unless urgent action is taken to restore and protect the continent’s rapidly disappearing wetlands. Ahead of…
The ongoing destruction of wetlands worldwide could result in the loss of up to $250 trillion in economic benefits by 2050, according to the 2025 edition of the Global Wetland Outlook (GWO) released on Tuesday. Wetlands, which provide critical ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood protection, carbon storage, and support for agriculture and fisheries,…
Zimbabwean youth are demanding a formal seat at the table as the country prepares to host the Ramsar Convention’s 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) on wetlands later this month. Dozens of young environmentalists, researchers and students gathered in Harare recently for a youth seminar on wetlands, organised by the African Youth Initiative on…
