Environmental regulator the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has rejected 184 development proposals most of them in Harare in a sweeping crackdown on projects planned for wetlands and other sensitive ecosystems.
EMA said the projects were blocked because they had been improperly sited in protected areas including wetlands and green belts near rivers and dams – ecosystems that play a critical role in preventing floods, purifying water and supporting biodiversity.
The move comes amid mounting concern over the rapid loss of wetlands in and around the country’s cities where housing developments, shopping complexes and industrial sites have increasingly been built on land that was once protected.
“Wetlands are not vacant land waiting to be developed – they are living ecosystems that support our water security and climate resilience,” EMA’s Environmental Education and Publicity Manager, Amkela Sidange said.
“These projects were rejected because they threatened ecologically sensitive areas. We cannot allow development that undermines the very systems that keep our environment and communities safe.” she said
Under Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Act and Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 developers of certain types of projects must carry out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) before construction begins. Approval from EMA is mandatory.
But EMA says many of the rejected proposals either failed to comply with the law or sought to push ahead in areas where development is restricted altogether.
“The law is clear. Any project listed in the First Schedule of the Act must go through an ESIA process and receive approval before implementation. This is not optional – it is a legal obligation.” Sidange said
Most of the rejected projects were in Harare province, where wetlands have come under intense pressure from urban expansion.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that commits countries to the “wise use” of wetlands through national action and international cooperation.
EMA says this principle is at the heart of its enforcement drive.
“Zimbabwe has a duty under the Ramsar Convention to manage wetlands wisely. The wise use approach is critical in ensuring that these areas are protected and used sustainably for both present and future generations,” Sidange said.
Wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing rainwater and reducing the risk of flooding – a function that has become increasingly important as climate change brings more intense storms.
The rejection of so many projects highlights the growing tension between development and environmental protection in the country’s fast-growing urban areas.
Developers and local authorities have been under pressure to deliver housing and infrastructure but environmentalists warn that building on wetlands is storing up long-term disaster.
In recent years, several suburbs in Harare have experienced flooding and sewage overflows, problems experts link partly to the destruction of wetlands that once filtered water and absorbed runoff.
EMA says it will continue to enforce the law.
“We are calling on all planning authorities and developers to respect environmental regulations. Sustainable development is not about building everywhere – it is about building wisely.” Sidange said.
