The Hwange community is bearing the brunt of the continued use of coal as a form of energy amid rising air pollution, fast-paced spread of coal-seam fires and respiratory diseases in several villages close to mining areas, as the effects of climate change take their toll.
Mining companies are stampeding to extract coal in Hwange, but an investigation by The Southern Environment with support from the Voluntary Media Council Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation FNF has revealed that villagers have been left to deal with the devastating effects of the resource’s exploitation.
The burning coal increases air pollution, while producing a strong smell that lingers in the air.
Original copy: https://thesouthernenvironment.co.zw/2023/09/21/breathing-to-die-the-curse-of-hwange-villager
