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THE African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Zimbabwe has called on entrepreneurs to take up opportunities availed by Zimbabwe’s rich biodiversity to ensure the country achieves an upper middle-income status by 2030.
Zimbabwe, with its abundant flora and fauna, is rich in biodiversity, and its varied landscapes and aquatic ecosystems. However, the biodiversity is under severe pressure and degradation resulting from climate change and human activities such as deforestation, wildlife crime and illegal harvesting and trade in wildlife and forest products.
In September, the Government launched the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy (ZBE) Report which seeks to address challenges underpinning biodiversity loss and to position the biodiversity economy as a key sector to invest in.
The ZBE Report resonates with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) which seeks to promote environmental protection, climate resilience and natural resource management. Detailing the outcomes and opportunities outlined in the report in an online webinar, AWF Zimbabwe Policy and Partnerships officer, Mr Wellington Matsika said the ZBE report was well-positioned as an important sector and asset to invest in.
“This is the journey to mainstream Zimbabwe natural resources in development planning and national economic accounts. We need to have improved understanding and buy-in on the biodiversity economy at the highest levels in government, private sector and civil society. Also the report will ensure establishment and operationalisation of environmental satellite account in Zimbabwe.
“We are looking forward to policy improvements enabling stakeholders to participate and benefit from the biodiversity economy optimally, as well as enhanced capacity on biodiversity economy within the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife other relevant agencies.”
He said the report will ensure there is an inclusive process in the biodiversity economy including youths actively participating to ensure they also benefit from the opportunities availed by Zimbabwe’s rich biodiversity.
Mr Matsika said there has been a lot of interest from stakeholders since the launch of the ZBE report, while achievements so far include informing policy reviews and informing Zimbabwe’s programming for Global Environment Facility (GEF 8).
He called on stakeholders to engage in the biodiversity economy, develop innovative business and investment models, leverage funding opportunities available ad advocate for policies that would grow the sector.
Wildlife Ecologist and Coauthor of the ZBE Report, Ms Nobesuthu Adelaide Ngwenya said innovation was key in exploring Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy and telling the country’s story through research and evidence-based policies to support initiatives was critical.
She said high start-up costs were required for conservation entrepreneurship and there was a need for financial support for innovative ideas. Among key sectors in Zimbabwe’s biodiversity, Ms Ngwenya said these include nature-based tourism, sport hunting, fisheries, forestry as well as bioprospecting and bio-trade.
The ZBE report is said to also be in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, which speak to environmental protection, and with SDG 8, which speaks to economic growth. The findings and recommendations of the ZBE Report are important to Zimbabwe’s contribution to national and international development frameworks.
The Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Mangaliso Ndhlovu has called for all stakeholders in the biodiversity economy to embrace the findings of the report and to work collectively towards implementing the recommendations as they build the country to achieve an upper middle-income status.
Bongani Ndlovu