Govt reviews wildlife policy
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Government is reviewing the wildlife policy as part of efforts to promote an integrated landscape approach to managing wildlife resources, Business Times can report.
The existing policy was adopted in 1992.
However, in the past three decades several reforms have occurred in the wildlife sector at national, regional and international level.
Locally, Zimbabwe has witnessed several legal and policy developments which include the enactment of the environmental management act, the national environmental policy and strategy of 2005, the national climate change policy of 2017 and just concluded communal areas management programme for indigenous resources reviews.
In addition to that, Zimbabwe adopted a new constitution in 2013 which is supreme law of the land.
Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, who spoke at a meeting to review the policy held in Bulawayo last week said these reforms have necessitated the review of wildlife policy of 1992 to align it to the new constitution and incorporate new and emerging issues as experienced nationally and regionally conservation dynamics at international level.
Locally, Ndlovu said, these emerging issues include land tenure management of wildlife in the country which has changed over the past two decades.
He said there were other emerging issues including increasing cases of human wildlife conflicts due to human encroachment into wildlife habitat, growing wildlife habitat, climate change, increased wildlife trade and trafficking and expansion of agricultural activities and human settlement into protected areas.
Management of human wildlife conflicts and mitigating these issues is therefore pivotal in sustaining the wildlife sector and therefore these should be incorporated in our existing wildlife policy by way of reviewing and updating, Ndlovu said.
Zimbabwe is working in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is undertaking a project to review the Wildlife policy.
“The key objective is to promote an integrated landscape approach to managing wildlife resources and carbon and ecosystem services in the face of climate change in protected areas and communal lands of the mid to lower Zambezi regions of Zimbabwe.
“The support we get from UNDP will go a long way in ensuring that our biodiversity resources are protected and their importance is not overlooked.” Ndlovu said.
He said wildlife is a key pillar that contributes to the economic growth in developing countries as it supports tourism and create jobs.
“It also brings significant ecological and cultural benefits to regions around the world and it is therefore important to safeguard our wildlife.
“However, there are some challenges such as the human wildlife conflicts, human livestock conflicts that come with wildlife management and are particularly experienced by communities living adjacent to or near protected areas,” he said .
Ndlovu said that more than 40 people have died due to human wildlife conflicts this year. Last year, more than 56 lives were lost.
“Robust legislation and sound policies are key to safeguarding our wildlife which are critical for addressing wildlife related challenges as already alluded to,” he said, adding that consultation will be able to address community participation and benefit citizens.
