Historical changes in wetland management legislation and practices in Zimbabwe, and their implications

This study critically discusses historical developments in wetland management legislation through the twentieth century up to present in Zimbabwe, and how the legislative and management frameworks of different time periods have influenced wetland management strategies, including the needs and involvement of local wetland users. This analysis shows that in the twentieth century colonial era (up to 1980), laws prohibited the use of wetlands for some purposes and that local communities were largely excluded from using wetland resources. After independence in 1980, laws inherited from the colonial era were still applied despite the changed political and social situation, and this resulted in tensions between different wetland users. Since 2002, the Environmental Management Agency in Zimbabwe has regulated wetland use through licensing of wetland resource exploitation and through training of wetland users. However, this has not been effective and wetlands throughout the country have continued to be exploited for agriculture and by encroachment of urban infrastructure. There are also wider national-level tensions between the need for sustainable wetland management and conservation, and political imperatives for economic development by exploiting wetland resources. Balancing these issues underlies the challenges for wetland management in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. Based on this analysis, key recommendations are made regarding the need for closing legislative gaps in wetland management, inventorising and monitoring wetland properties, and engaging fully with community stakeholders.