ZIMBABWE is set to rehabilitate some of its damaged wetlands under the Ramsar Legacy Project and has applied for US$1,7 million from the Global Biodiversity Framework to initiate the set up phase.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife ministry communication and advocacy deputy director Joyce Chapungu said the International Union for Conservation of Nature was also facilitating additional resource mobilisation through its channels.
“The WWF has independently applied for support from international development partners, further diversifying funding,” Chapungu said.
She said the Ramsar Legacy Project had attracted strong international and national support with several funding streams underway and expressed optimism that some of the funding would have materialised by June this year.
Chapungu, however, did not give the precise figures needed for rehabilitating the wetlands and damaged Ramsar sites, which depend on how degraded an area is and the scale of the work needed.
Wetland rehabilitation typically involves water flow restoration and dam removal, replanting native wetland vegetation, controlling invasive plant species and fencing off sensitive areas to prevent erosion among others.
There is also need for community education and identification of alternative livelihoods as well as monitoring and ecological assessments.
Zimbabwe’s wetlands — including those designated as internationally important Ramsar Sites — are facing significant degradation and damage, largely because of human pressure and weak enforcement of environmental protections. Multiple surveys and environmental reports show that the situation is serious and worsening:
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A recent national survey found that more than half of Zimbabwe’s remaining wetlands are degraded with about 55,65 % considerably degraded and roughly 26,7 % seriously deteriorated, while only around 17 % remain in good condition.
In urban areas such as Harare, rapid development has caused over 60 % of headwater wetlands to be degraded or lost, with thousands of hectares converted for housing and other uses.
Zimbabwe has seven Ramsar-designated wetlands of international importance, including Monavale Vlei, Cleveland Dam wetland, Lake Chivero/Manyame catchment, Chinhoyi Caves, Victoria Falls National Park, Mana Pools, and Driefontein Grasslands.
While these sites play key roles in water supply, biodiversity, and ecosystem health, several of them are under severe threat:
Harare Ramsar wetlands such as Monavale Vlei, Cleveland Dam and Lake Chivero are being encroached by illegal development, settlement and infrastructure expansion, undermining their ecological functions.
Reports indicate that in Harare’s wetlands, less than 5% of the gazetted wetland area may remain intact due to ongoing conversion to residential and commercial land and poor enforcement of environmental laws.
At Cleveland Dam, illegal sand mining, tree cutting and waste dumping have disturbed wildlife habitat and threaten water quality and biodiversity — despite its Ramsar designation.
Activities such as unregulated cultivation, pollution, and land clearance are reported across other Ramsar and non-Ramsar wetlands, contributing to erosion, siltation, and reduced wetland function.
The main drivers of wetland damage in Zimbabwe are human activities, including urban expansion and land development, illegal agriculture and cultivation as well as pollution from waste and runoff.
These pressures reduce water purification, worsen water scarcity, especially in cities dependent on headwater wetlands, and degrade important wildlife habitat.
