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Sifelani Tsiko
Agric & Innovations Editor
The commissioning of a National Biodiversity Economy study recently by the Government and its development partners is a significant milestone for the country as it steps up efforts to harness the vast opportunities that the country’s biodiversity holds for economic growth and job creation.
For a very long time, there has not been any concerted effort to understand the value of the country’s biodiversity and how it can be used to transform the economy and unlock its value for the benefit of the country.
Zimbabwe is one of the most mega-biodiverse countries in the world and any efforts to find ways in which to harness the sector so that it can effectively contribute to economic growth are a welcome development.
It was quite uplifting that the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry joined forces with the African Wildlife Foundation to launch a National Biodiversity Economy study on September 28 to gather data and information about the country’s biodiversity and map strategies on how best it could be harnessed for long term economic growth and the attainment of Vision 2030.
Stakeholders in key sectors that included the wildlife, fisheries, forestry, bioprospecting, investment, national accounts and policy and legal sectors all gave a thumbs up to the study that will certainly generate dialogue at national, regional and international levels to consider possible means of biodiversity trading in Zimbabwe and in other parts of the world in a manner that is sustainable and can contribute to the country’s green economy.
Zimbabwe has a rich biodiversity base that includes 5 930 plant species, 670 bird species, 270 mammal species, 156 reptile species, 120 amphibian species and 150 fish species found within and outside protected areas.
The September 28 Biodiversity Economy Indaba provided useful insights on the value of the country’s biodiversity economy in key areas such as hunting, game farm and related industries and bioprospecting, natural product and bio-trade industries that can make a huge contribution to Zimbabwe’s GDP.
Up to now, there is no detailed analysis of the country’s biodiversity and mechanism to foster integration of biodiversity and ecosystem values into policy development and implementation.
To address this, the Government sought support from development partners to build a comprehensive data base showing the vast wealth of natural capital in line with the UN’s System Environmental Economic Accounts System (SEEA).
“AWF was approached by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry following a request from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to develop the report as a tool to inform policies around maximising the country’s inclusive wealth and maintaining the long-term sustainability of its biological resource base.
“Obtaining optimal value from the biodiversity economy will also necessitate reducing society’s unsustainable dependence on natural resources,” said Olivia Mufute, the AWF country director for Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy study is being implemented by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association and technical experts drawn from various sectors.
The study is being led by Dr Jane Turpie, a renowned South African conservation biologist and consultant of Anchor Environmental.
Dr Turpie said the inception of the study will lead to the publication of the first ever State of the Biodiversity Economy in Zimbabwe which will include a framework for natural capital accounting and a blueprint for leveraging key investment opportunities in the biodiversity economy.
“This is a very complex study but several countries have undertaken this. It requires a lot of work and data collection. So far, I am happy about the level of support that we have been promised from several key agencies in Zimbabwe,” she said.
“We hope to have something — a preliminary report by February 2022.”
At present, the country’s biodiversity is fragile and faces numerous threats of extinction.
It demands careful planning and developing appropriate mechanisms to harness the economic potential of Zimbabwe’s natural resources in the wake of rising cases of the destruction of the country’s plant and animal species.
“We hope that this study might stimulate interest in the biodiversity economy among various stakeholders with an interest and/or influence over the status of the biodiversity economy.
“For example, the Government is set to benefit from the report through gaining a clearer understanding of the contribution of biodiversity to the economy and its broader importance for livelihoods. This will in turn inform smart policy decisions on natural resources management,” said Mufute.
She added that the study will also help highlight ways in which biodiversity can be used to sustain and drive growth and development, particularly in impoverished rural areas which provide the main reservoirs for biodiversity in the country.
African countries are increasingly turning to biodiversity as a key contributor to their GDP as sustainability, climate change and biodiversity loss take centre stage in the developmental agendas of many economies.
A recent report by the World Economic Forum found that over half of the global GDP (US$44 trillion) relies on nature.
The AWF believes that successful biodiversity economies would not only provide much-needed revenues for households and governments, but will also act as an incentive for increased participation in and funding for conservation.
Healthy biodiversity has numerous economic benefits, including food security, development of pharmaceutical products, tourism, climate regulation, soil nutrient recycling, diseases and pest control.
If properly developed, the biodiversity economy can assist in accelerating transformation by providing not only employment, but also business opportunities for Zimbabwe
Zimbabweans have a responsibility to treasure and preserve this biodiversity and to fully realise its potential to provide a better life for all people.
Despite the potential and great opportunities biodiversity provides for Zimbabwe’s development, the country is experiencing an unprecedented decline due to population growth, extensive agricultural practices, rapid urbanisation, infrastructure development, illicit trafficking, among others.
In Africa, it is estimated that the over-exploitation and degradation of the biodiversity ecosystems will result in the loss of 50 percent of the continent’s bird and mammal species and 20-30 percent of lake productivity by the end of the century, as well as decline of wildlife and fisheries, according to UNEP.
Recognising, measuring and managing natural capital and ecosystem services at the country level is key to protecting Zimbabwe’s biodiversity.
Biodiversity is worth billions of dollars and working to incorporate the physical and monetary values of natural capital in decision-making processes will unlock the value Zimbabwe needs to spur economic growth.
Commercial exploitation of Zimbabwe’s indigenous forests and woodlands is a significant source of income, foreign exchange, and employment at the national level.
This also extends to a diverse range of non-timber forest products, including oils, gum, waxes, edible and non-edible.
However, the value huge stocks of forestry and no forestry products that are traded in the informal sector such as mazhanje, marula, masau, baobab, natural honey, natural herbs and oils and a whole range of other plant and animal products is not known, yet it is quite significant in terms of volumes traded on the market.
Seasonal jobs are created, income is generated and livelihoods are improved.
It is hoped this study will bring out new approaches to accessing ecosystem services and biodiversity and promote policy coherence with adequate resources and capacity to attract the huge investment opportunities that may come with harnessing the biodiversity economy.
All this should be done in a way that ensures equitable beneficiation and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 which aims to “sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.”
Online Reporter