A land selling spree is threatening the ecological nature of Lake Chivero, a Ramsar designated wetland.
Lake Chivero is among the seven Ramsar designated sites in Zimbabwe and also serves as Harare's main water source.
The Lake is however under threat owing to a number of factors that include pollution, siltation and lately unplanned residential developments.
Information gathered revealed that residential stands have been demarcated near the Lake and the development is facing stiff resistance from environmentalists.
The area is reportedly being developed by an individual identified as Mhazvi who claims to have been allocated the area during the fast track land reform programme.
"We are selling the stands for twelve dollars per square metre and the stands range from 3 000 to 5 000 square meters.
We have managed to do the necessary paper work and we are waiting for approval from the Ministry of Local Government," he said.
A management committee established to manage Lake Chivero has since opposed the proposed development.
The Programmes Manager for Harare Wetlands Trust (HWT), Selestino Chari called for urgent intervention to save Lake Chivero.
"What we need is a management plan for the whole area and all developments should stop with immediate effect. We need to audit the developments and see if there is environmental compliance. That audit will feed into the environmental management plan and that plan should be implemented by a management committee which should monitor activities in that area.
The master plan for Zvimba Rural District must be clear in terms of land use around the lake. There is need to bring all the stakeholders together on management of Lake Chivero and improve coordination among government departments," said Chari.
Despite being a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands, Zimbabwe continues to witness the continued degaration of its wetlands due to factors that include unplanned developments, urban farming, sand mining and pollution.
Statistics from the Environmental Management Agency indicate that 82 percent of the country's wetlands are moderately to severely degraded and Harare has lost 50 percent of its wetlands over the last two decades.
This is despite the existence of a legal framework to protect wetlands in Zimbabwe.
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"The ongoing degradation of wetlands has severe implications for the City of Harare's future development, particularly in the quest for climate smart cities.
The loss of wetlands threatens to worsen the already critical water shortages driven by rapid population growth and urban development, which in turn places immense pressure on existing water resources. Wetlands play a critical role in water purification, flood control, and sustaining biodiversity, all of which are essential for the well-being of urban populations," said Chari.
Zimbabwe is set to host the Ramsar Convention 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) in Victoria Falls in July 2025 amid growing calls for stakeholders to capitalise on this international event to push for local, regional and international commitments on the protection of wetlands.
Efforts to get a comment from Zvimba Rural District Council were in vain as the Chief Executive Officer, who has the sole mandate to speak to the media was reportedly out of office.
