Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo [email protected]
ZIMBABWE has taken a major step in tackling environmental and public health risks posed by obsolete pesticides after securing more than 10 tonnes of the toxic chemicals under controlled temporary storage in Gwanda.
In a statement Sunday, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said through the ChemObs Project Phase II Hard Interventions, the country has moved from scattered and ageing pesticide stockpiles across farms, research stations and agricultural institutions to a documented and centrally monitored system.
“As of July 2026, EMA facility in Gwanda had recorded 184 inventory entries weighing 10 019 kilogrammes (10,019 tonnes) of obsolete pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and acaricides,” said the agency in a statement.
“The figure is more than a statistic; it represents a shift from scattered and ageing pesticide stockpiles to a documented and controlled system where the materials can be monitored while awaiting their eventual environmentally sound disposal.”
The project, EMA said, is being implemented by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Ministry of Health and Child Care, and Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resource Development, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Africa Institute.
Zimbabwe has historically had high demand for pesticides in agriculture and research.
However, EMA said as cropping patterns and markets changed, some chemicals were left unused, others became unwanted, contaminated, restricted or too old to use safely.
In some cases, prolonged storage resulted in deteriorating containers and chemicals that could no longer be reliably identified.
“The problem was compounded by the absence of adequate public infrastructure for the final destruction of these toxic obsolete pesticides,” said EMA.
“This meant that even after their identification and inventorying in 2017, the pesticides still needed to be safely contained in a central facility while awaiting environmentally sound disposal.
“Improper storage or use of pesticides can expose people, livestock and wildlife to harmful chemicals through spills, leaking or damaged containers, and unsafe handling. Inhalation, skin contact and contamination of food, soil and water.”
Pesticides that are poorly stored or discarded can also move into the wider environment, affecting aquatic systems and non-target organisms.
According to EMA, lessons from the 2017 inventory have shown that due to limited resources and delays in intervention, some pesticides were used, sold, discarded or became difficult to trace following changes in institutional ownership and land use.
Under ChemObs Phase II, the project moved beyond identification to physical safeguarding.
At collection points across the country, chemicals were sorted, repackaged, labelled and documented before being transported under controlled conditions.
While some consignments were routed through Harare for checking and consolidation, stocks from Midlands, Masvingo and Matabeleland were transported to Gwanda following field safeguarding.
The Gwanda EMA facility has since been strengthened to provide a controlled temporary storage environment, with a fenced perimeter, controlled access and danger-warning signage.
EMA said the inventory contains liquid and solid pesticides, aged and damaged containers, unidentified pesticides and empty contaminated containers.
Among the identified chemicals are Dicamba, Carbofuran, Thiram, Bentazone, Metribuzin, Acetamiprid, Endosulfan, Diazinon, Atrazine, Paraquat, Glyphosate, Chlorpyrifos, Pirimiphos-Methyl and Nicosulfuron, among others.
Environmental experts warn that improper storage or use of such chemicals can expose people, livestock and wildlife to harm through spills, leaking containers, inhalation, skin contact and contamination of food, soil and water.
The work EMA is doing also supports Zimbabwe’s obligations under key Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) on chemicals and waste.
By consolidating the chemicals, the project has made it possible to maintain records, inspect containers, control access, manage spills and keep unknown substances separated.
Officials stressed that the 10 tonnes safeguarded in Gwanda are not the final destination. Temporary storage is a holding measure while arrangements for environmentally sound final disposal are pursued.
“After years of scattered stockpiles and difficult-to-trace chemicals, Zimbabwe has begun turning a long-standing environmental problem into something that can be monitored and managed,” said EMA.
