Tourism and Environment

‘Climate change could trigger regional wars’

Published

4 years ago

November 23, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A top Zimbabwean government climate change expert has warned of “hydro hegemony wars by 2050” in Southern Africa if the region does not start taking climate change issues seriously.

Wellington Zhakata, director of climate change management in the Environment, Water and Climate ministry made the warning at a regional symposium on the impact of climate change on humanitarian issues in Victoria Falls on Monday.

“For regional purposes, as countries try to reduce the impact of climate change, efforts will be made to harness as much water resources as possible for internal use and as a result, cross boundary of water sources such as Zambezi, Pungwe and Limpopo rivers might lead to wars as is being witnessed in Ethiopia-Egypt relations defined by water/Nile,” Zhakata said.

He said the wars over water could result in displacements of people, increased human-wildlife conflicts, and damage to infrastructure.

“This will result in increased droughts and the consequent hunger, greater water scarcity for human and animal consumption as well as agriculture as rivers dry and the water table recedes,” Zhakata said.

“More human-wildlife conflicts are expected as animals move in search of water-conducive habitats spreading diseases such as foot and mouth and as people seek alternative livelihoods cyclones and the consequent flooding.

“The other consequences will include population pressures, unequal access to resources, poverty, outbreak of epidemics, and spreading of diseases, which are likely to increase in Sub Saharan Africa and affect the everyday life of the most vulnerable among the veld fires.”

He bemoaned reluctance by countries in the region to enact laws to counter climate change, citing lack of action on coal mining.

Apart from natural causes, climate change effects are caused by human activities such as poor waste management, inefficient appliances (household and industrial), unsustainable consumption and production, wasteful behaviour, reduction of carbon capture and storage, capacities, deforestation, coal-based energy-based electricity, fossil fuel-based energy and use and land use change.

Zhakata said there was a need for resilient infrastructure projects such as construction of bridges and roads, safe houses and provision of food security to the vulnerable people among other Paris Agreement obligations that Zimbabwe is a signatory for.

The conference which ends on Wednesday is being attended by officials from the Southern Africa Development Community and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The delegates will discuss the climate change and displacement’s role in the international community, the region’s implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the nature of current legal provisions of climate change and the technical constraints and challenges among other issues.

Sports

Zimparks, VFWT join forces to rescue snared elephant

Published

2 weeks ago

August 5, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A dramatic rescue operation was carried out last week by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, in collaboration with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), to save a young female elephant from a wire snare.

According to a statement posted by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust on Facebook:

“Last week, we received an urgent call from Zimparks about a young female elephant in distress—a wire snare was tightly wrapped around her mouth and tusks.”

The elephant was spotted near Masuwe Lodge, where her herd was peacefully drinking at the waterhole. Acting swiftly, the trust’s team carefully separated the distressed elephant from her herd and darted her, allowing them to remove the snare and collect vital health samples.

Thankfully, the wire hadn’t cut deeply, and the young elephant was soon back on her feet, reunited with her family.

The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust expressed gratitude to Zimparks and Adrian Read for their dedication to protecting wildlife, saying:

“Thank you to Zimparks and Adrian Read for their dedication to protecting our wildlife.”

Slider

Zimparks defends trophy hunting of collared lion in Hwange

Published

2 weeks ago

August 4, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority, Zimparks, has defended the killing of a collared lion, Blondie, in Hwange National Park, despite widespread outrage and criticism from conservationists.

According to BBC News, Blondie, a well-known lion studied by University of Oxford academics, was killed by trophy hunters just outside Hwange National Park in late June. The lion was wearing a collar sponsored by Africa Geographic, a safari company, to support long-term conservation efforts.

In a press statement, Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said:

“Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirms that a recent hunt of a collared lion in Hwange National Park was legally conducted, with the necessary approvals and having fully complied with all regulations. Contrary to ongoing speculation, there was no illegality involved in this hunt. While collared animals are marked for research purposes, this does not exempt them from being legally hunted under regulated circumstances. We urge the public to stop spreading wrong information that may cause unnecessary alarm. ZimParks remains committed to transparent wildlife management upholding the regulations in all activities.”

According to BBC News, Simon Espley, CEO of Africa Geographic, expressed his dismay and anger over the incident, saying that Blondie’s prominent collar did not prevent him from being hunted. Espley also noted that Blondie was a breeding male in his prime, contradicting claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.

The incident has drawn comparisons to the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, which sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter regulations on trophy hunting.

Slider

Renowned conservationist Alan Elliott passes away at 86

Published

2 weeks ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The conservation world is mourning the loss of Alan Elliott, a pioneering conservationist and tourism operator who passed away this morning around 2AM at Materdei Hospital in Bulawayo.

Elliott, affectionately known as “Mandebele,” was 86 years old.

Photo by Charlene Hewat

Elliott’s contributions to conservation and tourism in Zimbabwe are immeasurable. He was one of the first people to bring tourism to Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, and founded Touch the Wild, a tourism operation that hosted numerous celebrities, including the Queen and Prince Philip.

We then contacted Charlene Hewat, a close associate of Elliott’s Presidential Elephant Research Trust (PERT), to explain further about his conservation work. Hewat described Elliott as an extraordinary conservationist who dedicated his life to protecting elephants. “Alan’s legacy is imprinted on the wild landscapes he loved so dearly and protected so fiercely,” Hewat said in a Facebook post.

In an interview, Hewat elaborated on Elliott’s work, highlighting his efforts to protect elephants in Hwange. “He went and got a decree from President (Robert) Mugabe to protect the presidential elephants, and he received that decree, and they agreed that they would not shoot any elephants within the Dete Hwange area,” Hewat explained.

Elliott’s passing has sent shockwaves throughout the conservation community, with many paying tribute to his remarkable legacy. “He’s a legend. Everybody knows him,” Hewat said. “He was an MP in Hwange, spoke fluent Ndebele, and knew a lot of the ministers. He’s just an amazing man, a legend for Zimbabwe.”

As a testament to his enduring legacy, Elliott had asked Hewat to carry on his work with the Presidential Elephant Research Trust. “It was his vision to promote young Zimbabwean researchers, and that’s something that I share and think we can take forward for the country and for the youth,” Hewat said.