Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE is facing a multimillion-dollar challenge in its fight against land degradation as it works to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030.
LDN aims to ensure that the quality and quantity of land resources needed to support ecosystems and food security remain stable or improve over time. For Zimbabwe, this is critical, as over 60 percent of the country’s land is classified as dryland, making it highly vulnerable to desertification, soil erosion and declining agricultural productivity.
Key indicators such as land cover changes, land productivity and soil organic carbon levels are being closely monitored to track progress.
Speaking at a recent high-level environmental meeting in Victoria Falls, Environmental Planning and Monitoring Manager at the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Mr Maxwell Maturure, said the national LDN agenda focuses on reversing, reducing and preventing further degradation through targeted interventions.
“Land degradation neutrality is a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem function and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems,” said Mr Maturure.
He said Zimbabwe’s LDN agenda targets reversing, reducing, and preventing further land degradation through specific interventions. Progress is measured using indicators such as land cover changes, land productivity and soil organic carbon levels.
Restoring degraded land comes at a high cost. Mr Maturure said national budget allocations for environmental management have risen from $40,1 million in 2017 to $85,5 million in 2018. Development partners have also supported the cause, pledging $465 030,02 and disbursing $82,6 million between 2016 and 2019.
However, Mr Maturure noted that community contributions, which are a key part of restoration efforts, have not been quantified, showing a gap in resource mobilisation.
“Despite these efforts, large areas of land in Zimbabwe remain declining or stable but stressed, meaning they are at risk of further degradation. Areas showing early decline need urgent attention to prevent permanent damage,” he said.
Mr Maturure said the situation calls for a multi-stakeholder approach, combining Government action, international support and community participation
Land degradation threatens food security, water supply and rural livelihoods. One major partner in the fight is the Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSLIP).
National project coordinator Mrs Precious Magwaza said DSLIP works to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation, desertification and deforestation in drylands by promoting sustainable land management.
The programme is part of a global effort under bodies such as the UNCCD and FAO and uses knowledge hubs to share best practices in land restoration.
