City of Harare awaits proclamation of wetland city accreditation status to enhance sustainable development 

Harare City Council is intensifying stakeholder collaboration to combat the problem of wetlands invasion and destruction in the urban and peri-urban jurisdictions of the city. The city has been facing challenges of illegal land developments by land barons on wetlands and is working on mechanisms to stop the unwanted developments and destruction to the environment.

Charles Mabika, City of Harare representative under the Environment Management Unit (EMU) said at a Journalists Sustainability Reporting Workshop held by Lafarge and Practical Action on 27 November 2020 in Harare that some of the measures being implemented by the local authority include introduction of a climate desk at town house to deal with issues of environment, water and climate change including safeguarding of wetlands. Mabika said that the local authority is working with other government agencies like the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) on preservation of wetlands and the environment.

 In a presentation on sustainable development in Harare, Mabika said that it is the idea that human societies must live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. He added that it was now very imperative to strongly focus on the sustainable development model.

 “This means taking into account both the imperatives present and those of the future, such as the preservation of the environment and natural resources or social and economic equity,” Mabika said.

He added that although wetlands are crucial for providing important ecosystem services such as food provisions, protecting humans from flooding, providing clean water and storing carbon, they have traditionally been undervalued, which has resulted in widespread loss and degradation. Mabika said that this has led to a loss in the services that maintain people’s health and wellbeing and also a loss in biodiversity. He added that 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 and 43% in Harare over the past 20 years.

Main threats to urban wetlands outlined by Mabika include draining and infilling for housing or other developments, loss of biodiversity by conversion to open public parks and recreational lakes. In addition, solid waste and water pollution, channelization of rivers and streams and hydrological disconnection of the wetlands from watercourses. The other threats involve the use of hard infrastructure solutions rather than green infrastructure and the occurrence of invasive alien species which are resulting in the loss of native species.

According to Mabika, when conserved and sustainably used, urban wetlands can provide cities like Harare with multiple, economic, social and cultural benefits. “They are prize land, not wasteland and should be integrated into the development and management plans of cities,” Mabika said. Some of the benefits of urban wetlands outlined by Mabika include water supply, flood regulation, climate moderation, and wastewater treatment, habitat for biodiversity, agriculture and aquaculture. Additional benefits also include tourism, recreation and leisure, education, culture and heritage, research and human wellbeing.

According to Mabika, as a deliberate measure to enhance sustainable development, the City of Harare applied for the Wetland City Accreditation.  He said that the Wetland City Accreditation scheme encourages cities in close proximity to and dependent on wetlands, especially designated Ramsar Convention wetlands such as Monavale, Manapools, Cleveland Dam, Lake Chivero, Victoria Falls, Chinhoyi Caves and rural Driefontein of international importance to promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as affording sustainable socio-economic benefits for local people. It is also reported that the initiative also represents a direct link between Sustainable Development Goal 11 to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” and SDG6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. 

It is added that 18 cities from seven countries such as in China for example Changde, Changshu, Dongying, Haerbin, Haikou, Yinchuan), France for example Amiens, Courteranges, Pont Audemer, Saint Omer, Hungary for example Lakes by Tata, Madagascar for example Mitsinjo, South Korea for example Changnyeong, Inje, Jeju, Suncheon, Sri Lanka and Tunisia for example Gharel Melh received the prestigious accreditation.The city of Harare is aiming to follow suit.

Mabika said that the City of Harare is located in the Upper Manyame Catchment Basin, which is a wetland ecosystem that provides a plethora of essential and valuable services to the residents and rate payers of Harare. The wetland ecosystem is an extensive single natural ecological system that forms the primary water catchment area for the Upper Manyame Catchment Basin that feed into the major raw water sources for the City of Harare and its environs (i.e. Harava Dam, Seke Dam, Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame) and ground waters in the catchment.