Transforming Urban Policy to Combat Wetland Degradation in Harare

Abstract

The city of Harare set itself the ambitious goal of being a world-class city by 2025 and vital to this goal is a transformation of the urban policy charting the way towards a more environmentally sustainable path. Based on the status quo this is a pipe dream. Tourism and Environment Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has given a chilling warning that all wetlands in Zimbabwe’s towns and cities will disappear within 20 years if municipalities continued on their current model of development. This paper posits that a radical transformation of Harare’s urban policy can aid in combatting wetland degradation. Data were derived via a critical review of legislation, city by-laws, a case study analysis of Harare and an analysis of a plethora of reports. By arresting rampant corruption within government and the city’s administrative structures, strengthening protections on wetland ecosystems through robust legislation, better management of inter-party contestations (ZANU-PF and MDC) wetlands in Harare can be utilised sustainably.