Academic literature on the topic 'Wetlands – Zimbabwe – Harare'

This article assesses the legal and institutional framework around governance of wetlands and wetland-related ecosystem services in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe (member of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands). A mixed research methodology, comprising review of literature, interviews, document analysis, and Geographical Information Systems, forms the key methodology used in this study. Results from analyzed data show that lack of a clear and harmonized legal and institutional framework is leading the Harare’s wetlands to rapidly shrink and affecting their ability to provide key ecosystem services, such as clean water, flood protection, recreational areas, and wildlife. In addition, both overlapping roles and functions among the various institutions and legislations are responsible for wetland management in Harare. Key recommendation emerging from the study points to the need to define clear boundaries and harmonization of key legislations to promote the sustainability of wetlands in Harare.

The study of protected area downgrading and downsizing (PADD) in Africa has largely been confined to rustic and nature reserves outside urban boundaries. This study addresses the gap in research practice and puts a focus on urban public parks, a reference to Harare Gardens, located within central Harare. The case study of this important park engaged the political ecology lenses as a basis for understanding the significance of public parks in urban environments. Operationalization of the study involved interviews with various stakeholders including the city officials and experts in urban planning and conservation, as well as observations and examination of published documents. Several lessons and observations are made. First, downsizing is mainly a result of increasing demand for urban land in Harare, which seems to be exhausted. Second, downscaling was explained through eco-development where the City of Harare sought to maximize on land-use. Third, the rationale for the PADD of Harare Gardens has been mainly for selfish reasons by individuals who manipulate the land market in Harare and subsequently benefit from the process. Fourth, politics takes a central role in influencing the occurrence of PADD in Zimbabwe that has been the case with Harare Gardens. Our findings suggest that the decision to downsize Harare Gardens was largely politically driven considering that such occurrences have been on-going in the city and led to the downsizing and downgrading of other protected areas such as wetlands.

Dissertation submitted to Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science by research, 2017
Most wetlands in urban environments, especially metropolitan cities in developing countries like Zimbabwe, are being threatened by human activities. This study investigates human understanding and perceptions on wetlands and assessing environmental effects of human utilisation of the wetlands as a means of evaluating their sustainability. A mixed methods approach which entails both quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect data from human and physical environments of two wetlands in Harare, Zimbabwe. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to select participants for questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The study used two sets of similar questionnaires to collect data from 40 Borrowdale and 39 Belvedere wetland users and residents. Interviews were also administered to 10 Borrowdale and 12 Belvedere wetland users. Two focus group discussions were administered for Borrowdale and one was administered for Belvedere. Wetland delineation and land use mapping were done using a hand-held GPS. Sediment samples were collected from the utilised and unutilised parts of the two wetlands and were tested for sediment grain size and organic carbon content. Results showed an increase in urban wetland utilisation driven by complex economic, social and political issues. The majority of respondents showed that they were aware of the economic and socials benefits of wetland and environmental effects of different land uses on wetlands. Some respondents were sceptical about some of the environmental benefits of wetlands. Respondents were also aware of negative changes of wetland properties (soil, water, vegetation, birds and animals) due to different land uses on wetlands. Low percentages of organic carbon content in sediments from utilised parts of both wetlands reflected deterioration in soil fertility. There is poor dissemination of knowledge about wetlands to the general public, and existing wetland legislation is not effectively implemented. The study recommends that the government of Zimbabwe should: change its wetland management strategies, review the Environmental Management Act, enact a national wetland policy which involve decisions from all stakeholders, investigate institutions that facilitate wetland laws implementation, and change strategies used and people involved in educating and disseminating information about wetlands. Keywords: vleis, human perceptions, land uses, wetland ecosystems, soil grain size, organic carbon content, wetland elements, wetland values and benefits
XL2018

Wetlands are fragile ecosystems that deliver a wide range of environmental and ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being. This fragility has seen a number of wetlands succumb to degradations and loss arising from different causes. The positive contribution of wetlands to various ecosystems and the increasing rate of their degradation and loss has been a cause for concern to different stakeholders for a long time. One of the landmark indications of this concern is the constitution of the Ramsar Convention that was held in Iran in 1971 with the objective of addressing concerns regarding to wetland degradation and loss. Among the competing land uses resulting in wetlands loss and degradation could be listed urban agriculture, industrial development and housing. The research sought to assess the extent of wetland degradation with respect to housing developments in Harare, Zimbabwe. The dilemma as to why and how wetlands were being degraded was an issue of concern. The research sought to determine whether abatement or mitigation measures were in place to address the challenges Associated with wetlands loss and degradation. The subsequent growth of developments, their associated activities and possible intervention measures had to be thoroughly assessed. The administration of questionnaires and conducting of interviews was done to solicit data from the respondents. Collected data was analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Scientists. Further to this, Google satellite imagery was used in the mapping of the Belvedere North and Epworth suburbs. Disturbed and undisturbed portions of the wetlands were analyzed by Geographical Information System software. Direct observation of the wetland area was used to examine existing natural features. To determine extent of pollution, water samples were collected in the wetlands and submitted to the laboratory for analysis. Analysis of selected chemical and physical parameters was carried out in the laboratory using selected methods. The research made two important and broad findings. First, both the Belvedere North and Epworth wetlands have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activities with housing developments and urban agriculture as the major contributors of this degradation. The development of residential properties in the wetlands is a result of a high demand for residential space in Harare. Whereas housing developments in Belvedere are formal and planned, developments in Epworth were informal and haphazard. With no formal planning, the Epworth wetlands have been severely impacted by water and sand extraction as well as contamination of underground water by pit-latrines that are common in these informal settlements. Second, the research also found that wetland degradation was closely associated with the lack of clear wetland policies both at national and local levels. The laboratory results showed that the water in Epworth was more polluted than the water in Belvedere. The measure of pollutants in Epworth was higher due to the activities being carried out as compared to Belvedere. Measures of Dissolved Oxygen, Total Dissolved Substances and conductivity increased from October to March in Epworth. Of note is the measure of Dissolved Oxygen that increased between October and March with a mean of 7.9 and 2.5 respectively. Total nitrogen and total phosphate also increased significantly in midstream and downstream sections. In essence, averages of 0.01 in October and 0.04 in March were recorded respectively for total nitrogen. The study concludes that an integrated land use approach has the potential of minimizing wetland loss and degradation. This is possible through the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive policy involving all relevant stakeholders. This will ensure a coherent decision making process. In as much as integrated land use planning and policy formulation are potential approaches to wetland sustainability, the drive to implement policy by policy makers concerning wetlands has to be explored. As ignorance concerning the ecological importance of wetlands exists in some cases, it is critical to consider wetland benefits above other competing developments such as housing and urban agriculture. This can be achieved through merging interrelated disciplines with the idea of integrating wetland information. For instance, deriving engineering solutions could promote development yet preserving wetlands. It is also suggested that environmental impact assessments, as planning tools should be carried out simultaneously with the town planning aspect. If given to proper planning, wetlands have a huge chance of survival.
Environmental Sciences
M.Sc. (Environmental Management)