HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Not long ago, grass and flowers grew on the wetland in Borrowdale. Flocks of birds — including red and yellow bishops — were common here, and butterflies too.

“Everything from anthills, fig trees and flowers. People took walks there to enjoy the tranquility of the place,” says Brian Foster Mawer, a resident of Dandaro Retirement Village, which abuts the wetland.

The 79-year-old has lived here for more than two decades and has watched much of the wetland disappear. Over time, people have dug up swathes of the land to cultivate maize, slowly degrading this natural flood buffer and vital water reservoir.

But the remaining wetland may not survive much longer. Vifot Investments, a real estate investment company, aims to plant concrete in the heart of the wetland. Heavy vehicles have already started pouring construction materials into this neighborhood west of Harare, as the company primes the land to construct 130 homes and 20 office blocks.

This project, still in its early stages, is just one example of a broader trend where authorities approve large-scale construction projects on wetlands despite clear environmental warnings, says Reuben Akili, director of the Combined Harare Residents Association.

All this is happening as Zimbabwe prepares to host the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in July. This global summit is dedicated to protecting the world’s remaining wetlands, but conservationists say the country is losing its own at an alarming rate, and in many cases through questionable land deals and by ignoring environmental regulations.

Lind in Juuri, GPJ Zimbabwe

Roger Fairlie sits on a bench overlooking a wetland he helps preserve with other residents in Harare. Fairlie, founder of the Greystone Nature Reserve, has been vocal about the urgent need to protect wetlands from unchecked development.

“The city of Harare has been irresponsible in terms of allocating pieces of land. They have been allocating land anywhere,” says Robert Mutyasira, chairperson of the Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers Association.

But the concern runs deeper than just one neighborhood and one construction project. In 2013, the Longcheng Plaza mall opened atop a vital wetland along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway.

An analysis by Harare Wetlands Trust, using field surveys and Google Earth imagery, found that wetlands across Harare declined by 50% between 2007 and 2019. The study focused on 10 key headwater wetlands, including Borrowdale. The organization attributes the loss to cultivation, housing developments and illegal settlement.

Wetlands act as natural sponges for rain. Because so many have been destroyed, heavy flooding has become a norm in the Harare suburbs of Budiriro and Mabvuku.

The concern for wetlands preservation stretches beyond Zimbabwe. Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, is sinking due to decades of wetland destruction. The crisis there is so bad that the government is relocating the national capital. In Brazil, massive developments are eating into the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland. And in Argentina, the Parana Delta luxury projects are taking over this vital ecosystem. In fact, around 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1970.

In many of these cases, governments are scrambling to contain the damage, if a little too late. But in Zimbabwe, the government is aiding destruction that, if continued unchecked, could lead to more severe flooding and worse water shortages, environmentalists say.

On paper, the country has strong environmental laws. Development on or near a wetland requires consultation with the Environmental Management Agency, and construction should only happen after an environmental impact assessment is approved by the agency.

But enforcement is lax.

In the Vifot Investments case, environmentalists from the Harare Wetlands Trust in a 2021 report accuse authorities of approving an environmental impact assessment while ignoring the serious irregularities it contained. They allege that Vifot included wrong information about the exact location of the site in the assessment they submitted, in order to bypass regulations. Although the project site is on a wetland, they say the assessment inaccurately categorizes it as within a light industrial zone in Tynwald, a different location.

The case has been in the national spotlight for some time now. Several city officials have been arrested or charged over the land deal, including Aaron Chigona, director of the Environmental Management Agency. He was arrested in January 2024 and spent over a year on remand for his alleged role in the controversial land deal. This March, the court freed him without prosecution, and he retained his role at the agency.

Lind in Juuri, GPJ Zimbabwe

The Borrowdale Vlei wetland in Harare. A real estate investment company plans to build 130 cluster homes and 20 office blocks on the wetland, raising concerns among environmentalists and residents about water access and ecosystem degradation.

The agency was satisfied with the Vifot environmental impact assessment, says Amkela Sidange, education and publicity manager. The project will have minimal impact on the wetland, she says. “[It] includes a nature park within the wetland area, enhancing rather than harming it. The cluster homes will occupy just 5 hectares of non-wetland land,” she says.

When Global Press Journal first reached out to Vifot Managing Director Liangming Jin, he offered the reporter US$200 for “lunch,” which she declined. What he later told Global Press Journal contradicts information from authorities.

First, Jin says the company plans to construct residential houses on 14 hectares of the land, contrary to the 5 hectares mentioned by Sidange. The company will then construct office blocks on the rest of it. “I will know the finer details of the office plans in six months, as my architects are still designing,” he says.

Vifot will implement several measures to minimize impact on the environment, such as water canals, he says.

Jin says he bought the land from the city of Harare.

Mayor Jacob Mafume tells Global Press Journal he isn’t aware of Vifot’s particular project, but says he is aware that wetlands are being sold illegally in the country.

Lind in Juuri, GPJ Zimbabwe

Liangming Jin, managing director of Vifot Investments, at his office in Harare. His company’s plans to develop housing and office blocks on a protected wetland have drawn criticism over misleading environmental assessments and the impact on Harare’s already strained water system.

“Sometimes it’s not brought to our attention,” Mafume says.

When problems are brought to their attention, he says his office “will attend to the reversal if need be or attend to the rectification of whatever problems have emanated from the permission that has been granted.”

The judicial system has failed to protect the country’s wetlands, says Mutyasira, from the Borrowdale residents association. “We have not seen success in the courts.” When wetlands are private property, the issue becomes even more difficult to contest, he adds. But heftier penalties might help. “Even if wetlands are privately owned, that ownership should be taken away,” he adds.

One solution could be getting the community involved, says Roger Fairlie, founder of the Greystone Nature Reserve, a wetland he maintains with other local residents. “You can’t do it on your own,” he says. The real power, he adds, lies in helping people understand just how important wetlands are.

Sidange, from the Environmental Management Agency, says companies with approved projects should not see approval as a green light to degrade the environment. It’s a commitment for them to protect it. If not, authorities could easily cancel or nullify certification for construction, she says.

Meanwhile, as the world prepares to gather in Harare and discuss protection of wetlands, the ground beneath this city is disappearing. The city doesn’t supply water to many areas of Harare, while in many others the water that arrives is contaminated. People like Mawer rely on boreholes.

But even the boreholes are drying up, and a large construction project could choke what groundwater remains.

Unchecked Development Devours Harare Wetlands: An Ecological Crisis

Harare, teh bustling capital of Zimbabwe, faces a growing environmental challenge: the relentless encroachment of unchecked development upon it’s vital wetlands. These wetlands, critical for water security, biodiversity, and flood control, are vanishing at an alarming rate due to unsustainable construction, agricultural expansion, and insufficient environmental regulations.

The Critical Role of Harare’s Wetlands

Before delving into the specifics of the crisis, it’s essential to understand why wetlands are so crucial. They’re not just swamps or muddy patches; they are dynamic ecosystems that perform a range of essential functions:

• Water Filtration: Wetlands act as natural filters, removing pollutants and sediments from water, providing cleaner water for Harare’s residents.
• Flood Control: They absorb excess rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding during heavy rains, a critical service in a city prone to seasonal downpours.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: Wetlands support a rich diversity of plant and animal life, including many endangered and endemic species.
• Groundwater Recharge: They replenish underground aquifers, ensuring a sustainable water supply for the future.
• Carbon Sequestration: Wetlands store meaningful amounts of carbon, helping to mitigate climate change.

The Drivers of Wetland Loss in Harare

Several factors contribute to the ongoing destruction of Harare wetlands:

• Rapid Urbanization: Harare’s population is growing rapidly, leading to increased demand for housing and infrastructure. This demand frequently enough overrides environmental concerns.
• Lack of Enforcement: Weak enforcement of existing environmental regulations allows developers to build on wetlands with impunity. Corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies further exacerbate the problem.
• Economic Pressures: Economic hardship pushes individuals and businesses to seek speedy profits, often at the expense of the surroundings. Wetlands are seen as readily available land for development.
• Agricultural Expansion: Small-scale farming and commercial agriculture are expanding into wetland areas, particularly during dry seasons, degrading the soil and water quality.
• Mining Activities: illegal sand poachers and mining operations disrupt wetland ecosystems, causing significant damage to the environment.

Consequences of Wetland Destruction

The consequences of destroying Harare’s wetlands are far-reaching and detrimental:

• Water Scarcity: As wetlands disappear, Harare’s water supply becomes increasingly vulnerable to droughts and shortages.
• Increased Flooding: With fewer wetlands to absorb rainwater, the risk of flooding increases, leading to property damage and displacement of communities.
• Loss of Biodiversity: The destruction of wetland habitats leads to the decline and extinction of plant and animal species.
• Deterioration of water Quality: Without the natural filtration provided by wetlands, Harare’s water sources become more polluted, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
• Impact on Livelihoods: communities that depend on wetlands for fishing, agriculture, and other resources are affected economically.

Case Studies: Examples of Wetland Encroachment

Several specific cases highlight the severity of the problem:

• Monavale Vlei: Once a thriving bird sanctuary and critically important wetland area, Monavale Vlei has suffered significant degradation due to illegal construction and agricultural activities.
• Mukuvisi Woodlands: This popular recreational area is facing increasing pressure from development projects that threaten its ecological integrity.
• Hatcliffe Extension: Construction of housing projects on wetlands in Hatcliffe Extension has resulted in increased flooding and water pollution in nearby areas.

Community voices: Firsthand experiences

The destruction of wetlands has a direct impact on the lives of people living in and around Harare. Here are some snippets of community experiences:

• “We used to rely on the wetland for water during the dry season. Now, the wells are drying up because the wetland is gone,” says a resident of a nearby farming community.
• “As they built those houses on the wetland, our area floods every time it rains. We’ve lost everything,” a homeowner whose house was affected by flood caused by wetland removal.
• “I’ve been fishing in this wetland for years.Now, the fish are disappearing because the water is polluted,” says a local fisherman.

The Legal Framework: Is it Enough?

Zimbabwe has laws and regulations in place to protect wetlands, but their effectiveness is questionable. The environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) and other relevant legislation provide a framework for environmental protection, but enforcement is often weak due to factors like:

• Corruption: Bribery and political interference undermine the request of environmental laws.
• Lack of Resources: Environmental agencies lack the resources and manpower to effectively monitor and enforce regulations.
• conflicting Interests: Government policies sometimes prioritize economic development over environmental protection, leading to conflicting interests.

Here’s a simple depiction of some key laws and their associated challenges:

benefits of wetland conservation

Protecting and restoring Harare wetlands provides numerous benefits:

• improved Water Security: Healthy wetlands ensure a reliable water supply for Harare’s residents.
• Reduced Flood Risk: Wetlands act as natural floodplains, protecting communities from devastating floods.
• Enhanced Biodiversity: Protecting wetland habitats helps to preserve plant and animal species.
• Improved Water Quality: Wetlands filter pollutants and sediments, providing cleaner water.
• Sustainable Livelihoods: Wetlands provide opportunities for fishing, agriculture, and ecotourism.

Practical Tips to Preserve Harare Wetlands

There are several ways individuals, communities, and organizations can contribute to protecting Harare wetlands:

• Report Illegal Activities: Report any illegal construction, farming, or mining activities in wetland areas to the relevant authorities.
• Support Environmental Organizations: Donate to or volunteer with organizations working to protect wetlands.
• Promote Awareness: Educate friends, family, and neighbors about the importance of wetlands and the threats they face.
• Advocate for Stronger Enforcement: Call on your local leaders to strengthen environmental regulations and enforce them effectively.
• Practice Sustainable Agriculture: Implement farming practices that minimize the impact on wetlands.
• Plant Indigenous Trees: Participate in planting local tree species around wetland environments to facilitate rehabilitation and biodiversity.

Potential Solutions and the Way Forward

Addressing the wetland crisis in Harare requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Strengthened Enforcement of Environmental Laws: the government must prioritize the enforcement of existing environmental regulations.
• Increased Public Awareness: Public awareness campaigns can help to educate citizens about the importance of wetlands and the need for conservation.
• Community Involvement: Engaging local communities in wetland management can ensure that conservation efforts are sustainable.
• Sustainable Urban Planning: Harare’s urban planning strategies must prioritize environmental protection and minimize the impact on wetlands.
• Investment in Green Infrastructure: Investing in green infrastructure solutions, such as constructed wetlands and urban green spaces, can help to mitigate the impact of development on the environment.

Failure to address the unchecked development will have catastrophic and long-lasting effects, while proactive conservation efforts could secure a more sustainable and resilient future.