Economics of the environment

gains economically with the proper harnessing of the environment.
Some few years ago during the height of the land resettlement programme, many families moved into areas set aside for parks and wildlife while others went to reside in forests grown to provide trees needed for the pulp and paper industries.
I imagine trees were cut for firewood and forests cleared for farming affecting the paper industries that provided paper for newspapers and books.
The conservatories were also settled on, affecting game ranching necessary for tourism and hunting for trophies that bring revenue to the fiscus. But, what is saddening is the lack of knowledge that these activities that affected the environment also interfered with proper utilisation of natural resources for economic development of the country.
Another aspect that hits the economy hard is the gold panning industry which has continued for years at the detriment of good environment management.
In some areas, the damage to the land was atrocious. It was reported in the Press that panners were even digging under the railway lines in search of the elusive gold. In Kwekwe, panners even dug the school yard up to the offices of the headmaster in search of gold.
In one district in Mashonaland Central, one family found early in the morning that their maize field had been dug up by gold panners. How can people who carry such activities be educated to refrain from damaging not only the environment but the economy?
Not to be outdone, some economic saboteurs stripped electricity cables in search of copper wire. Some of the cables belonged to Electricity Commission  while others were ripped off from pylons meant for electric trains.
What is of concern is the fact that these economic saboteurs are, in many instances, given light sentences for the economic crimes they commit. What are the solutions to prevent economic saboteurs to cause environmental damage and to stop them from destroying the livelihood of the majority of the population?
One cannot understand why the poaching of animals still continues while we have the security services in barracks. Why not deploy most of the army to end, once and for all, the menace of the poachers?
As for the people bent on carrying out illegal mining activities, the police have to deal without mercy with the culprits. The nation cannot be held to ransom by unguided elements in our midst. The poaching of rhinos has reached unprecedented proportions in Southern Africa. It has been reported that South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe have lost, may be, up to 600 rhinos each year from poachers.
If the armies of the three nations which are at peace were deployed, they would get rid of poachers and their syndicates within six months. The economies of Sadc countries could be boosted by such joint security measures. Where there is protection of the environment, investors, tourists and the engagement of legal economic activities would increase the gross national product of the Southern African countries. There is no reason why, politically, these countries cannot find a common ground to work towards a sustainable economic development by harnessing the environment.
Land degradation has led to soil erosion with catastrophic consequences in siltation of rivers and dams from which farmers derive their economic survival. The pollution of rivers by uncontrolled discharge of effluent by companies has killed many species of fish and has called for huge costs by municipalities to buy chemicals to make the water safe for drinking. People have died or caught diseases from eating contaminated fish. This outlay of financial resources to make the water safe has caused much suffering to the residents as well as farmers who need water for irrigation. The economic damage for such uncontrolled activities have affected the economy in the most negative way.
Many people have read about the spillage of oil at rigs throughout the world and the environmental and economic caused to the countries affected. Sometimes, it is the little things that cause a lot of concern. Imagine, the simple collection of garbage especially, in the urban areas, may cause such economic damage through diseases affecting children and adults and getting hospitals and clinics overwhelmed with infected patients.
In some instances, communicable diseases are left to cause economic havoc where meagre resources are stretched to the limit to cater for the increased number of patients who normally would not have needed treatment of hospitalisation if the environment had been kept clean.