Staff Writer
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has rejected 184 development project proposals as part of a rigorous enforcement of conservation laws designed to protect the nation’s wetlands and ecologically sensitive areas.
The majority of the denied applications were centred in Harare Province, where urban expansion has increasingly encroached upon vital natural infrastructure.
The agency said the rejections were primarily driven by improper siting. Developers had proposed projects within wetlands and green belts adjacent to water bodies, areas categorised as ecologically sensitive under Zimbabwean law.
“These project proposals were turned down primarily because of improper siting within ecologically sensitive areas, mostly wetlands and the green belts adjacent to water bodies, among other environmental considerations,” EMA said in a statement.
“Zimbabwe, as a signatory to the RAMSAR convention, is guided by the convention’s thrust on the wise use of wetlands with national action and international cooperation. A wise use approach, therefore, is critical in the management of wetlands as guided by the convention.”
EMA said the sites are protected under the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) and Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007, which mandates that any project listed in the Act’s First Schedule must undergo a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and receive formal approval before implementation begins.
The protection of these areas is a critical component of Zimbabwe’s climate resilience strategy. Wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing excess rainfall to prevent flooding during extreme weather events and gradually releasing that water to recharge underground aquifers.
The agency’s move comes amid growing warnings from environmentalists that Zimbabwe’s urban wetlands could disappear within two decades if current development patterns persist.
The development comes as the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 says wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.
Since 1970, more than 411 million hectares of natural wetlands have been lost globally, and a quarter of all wetland plant and animal species are facing extinction.
Wetlands provide water filtration, flood control, carbon storage, food and water security, and homes for countless species.
In Zimbabwe, wetlands cover approximately 136,595.8 km², representing 34,96 percent of the country’s total area.
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