Strengthening ecosystem resilience through sustainable forest and land management in Zimbabwe
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry (MECTHI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), development partners and more than 80 delegates from the environmental management sector, local authorities and the media gathered to launch the Global Environmental Facility (GEF-7) project. The project is aimed at strengthening ecosystem resilience through sustainable forest and land management in dryland landscapes in the South Eastern low-veld of Zimbabwe.
“Degradation of forest and land resources have long been identified as major impediments to sustainable development in Zimbabwe. The way we use and exploit natural resources contribute to their degradation, due to activities such as over-cultivation, overgrazing, cutting and clearing of forests. To address these challenges, investing in a One Health integrated approach will sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems, thereby leaving none behind,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and FAO Representative to Zimbabwe.
The project entitled, “A cross-sector approach supporting the mainstreaming of sustainable forest and land management to enhance ecosystem resilience for improved livelihoods in the Save and Runde Catchments of Zimbabwe,” is part of a larger programmatic and integrated GEF-7 Impact Programme for Dryland Sustainable Landscapes covering 11 countries in Africa and Central Asia of which seven are located in southern Africa.
“As a Ministry, we will continue to play our part to ensure that any mobilised financing produces results. Zimbabwe commits to ensuring the achievement of global environmental benefits. We will endeavour to avoid irreversible environmental damage, maintaining essential environmental processes and preserve the broad spectrum of biological diversity for current and future generations,” said Honourable Minister N.M Ndhlovu in a keynote address read on his behalf by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi.
The project is aligned within FAO’s strategic Framework 2022 – 2031 which focuses on the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. For the next five years, the Environment Management Authority (EMA) will be the main executing agency, working closely with the Forestry Commission, World Vision, the Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT), Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) and other development partners.
During the launch, the Government presented an overview of the land degradation situation in Zimbabwe as a rationale and justification to the need of such an intervention and its importance. In order to portray a context and background to this project, FAO presented a global overview of the Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSL IP).
The launch concluded with development of a project roadmap. There was a consensus that the project needs to finalise the joint annual work plan, roll out project activities to implementation sites in the eight districts to sensitise communities and local leadership and maintain the momentum created at this inception meeting. Commitments made here need to evolve into actions. The media was tasked to hold the project to account through reporting on progress. The roadmap agreed to incorporate issues of governance to incorporate structures for effective implementation and ownership of the project.