The City of Harare’s Acting Chief Town Planner, Samuel Nyabeza says wetlands protection remains a major priotoy as the city pursues its densiication policy.
In an interview, Nyabeza said that there is need to strike a balance between development and the need to protect Harare’s wetlands. He added that it is critical for any development projects to factor in the need to preserve and protect wetlands adding that stakeholder consultation is critical in this regard.
“The majority of the land left in Harare comprises of wetlands and as a result there is always a need to strike a balance between preserving wetlands and development within the City of Harare. For the past years we have been encouraging densification because we have run out of land and as usual, there is a temptation to encroach on wetlands but we strive to strike a balance between the need to develop and the need to preserve the environment and we have been engaging all stakeholders in this pursuit of development and preservation of the environment. We have been engaging all stakeholders that deal with the environment and stakeholders involved in development project. This is in line with our goal of achieving sustainable development within the city. It is in the best interest of the city to ensure that wetlands are protected,” said Nyabeza.
He said the City of Harare has embraced due dliligence in terms of land allocation and developments. This, he said was critical to ensure that developments do not negatively affect the ecological integrity of wetlands within the City of Harare.
“The Environmental Management Agency came up with a wetland map for the whole country, including Harare, which identifies certain pieces of land as wetlands. As such development is being guided by Environmental Impact Assessment Certificates which talk about developments which can be done as well as developments that cannot be done on wetlands. This guides us and is also in line with efforts to promote sustainable development in Harare,” said Nyabeza.
Wetlands preservation and protection has become a topical issue in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare amid calls for efforts to balance between development and the need to preserve Harare’s wetlands.
Developers have been urged to ensure that development of any sort does not interfere with the integrity of wetlands and as such, they (developers) continue to implement environmental protection procedures that lead to the protection of wetlands.
A case in point is the Tlloclem Beauty Homes project by Borrowdale Investments Private Limited in Borrowdale West that has sought to mitigate degradation of a wetland area within its vicinity and restore it to its natural state.
The development on the area takes into serious consideration the need to restore and preserve the wetland area which has been under constant threat over the past years.
The Tlloclem Beauty Homes project, located next to Pokugara estates, establishes a nature reserve for the sake of conserving a wetland area within its vicinity as part of efforts to bring balance to the ecosystem.
“It creates an opportunity to mitigate the degradation of the wetland back into its natural state through recreation restoration and enhancement. A range of entertainment activities will be incorporated to enhance activity within the nature reserve with careful attention to selection of materials that have zero to minimum impact to the wetland. Locally sourced natural materials that promote sustainability and have minimum harmful effects to the environment such as timber, clay, bamboo and stone will be used,” reads an announcement from Tlloclem Beauty Homes.
The nature park will also incorporate two Olympic sized swimming pools with pavilions in between them; made from timber to accommodate spectators viewing on both ends. The Tlloclem project will also create 20 pergolas and a man made dam from natural material stone which allows water to sip through its banks into the wetland area. The 20 pergolas allow users to relax and appreciate the nature surrounded by indigenous trees and the stream. They are made from locally sourced timber with no damage to the nature reserve,” reads the project proposal.
The project was issued with an Environmental Impact Assessment by the Environmental management Agency (EMA) in May last year while the Upper Manyame Sub-catchment council approved the project in July last year as well.
Nature reserves are a critical model to protect wetlands and allow for conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and natural habitats. They also form part of strategies on sustainable management of the environment while allowing for community engagement on environmental management.
Some of the key tools that have been embraced by developers as part of efforts to preserve wetlands in Harare include nature reserves and ecotourism.
A number of suburbs in Harare are taking up the concept of establishing nature reserves as a a model to promote environmental protection.
Another case in point is the Hills Luxury Golf Estate, a $300 million development project between the City of Harare and WestProp Holdings located at Warren Hills Golf Course.
WestProp Spokesperson, Michael Chideme is on record that the project has put in place measures that contribute to a balance between urban development and environmental conservation.
“The estate has undertaken wetlands rehabilitation efforts which have led to the return of fish and birdlife to the area. This demonstrates a commitment to maintaining biodiversity while developing luxury infrastructure. Furthermore, the estate uses eco-conscious landscaping techniques to prevent soil erosion and improve air quality,” said Chideme
