Special reports

Forests are disappearing in energy poor Zimbabwean cities

Published

2 years ago

March 3, 2023

BY JEFFEREY MOYO

In New Ashdon Park, a medium-density area in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, at new homes that have replaced a once thriving forest, makeshift fireplaces have become common sights as residents solely depend on firewood for energy.

City dwellers like 34-year-old Neliet Mbariro, a married mother of four, live in a house that has not yet been connected to electricity.

Like many of her neighbors, Mbariro has had to depend on cutting down some trees just across an unpaved road near her home.

“We cut the few remaining trees you see here so we can make fire for cooking every day.

“We can’t do anything about it because we have no electricity in this area,” Mbariro told IPS.

Hundreds of trees that used to define Mbariro’s area, where homes have fast emerged, have disappeared over the past two years since construction began.

As building structures rise, vast acres of natural forests are falling as construction of dwellings and indigenous industrial facilities gather pace in Zimbabwe.

Arnold Shumba (32), a builder operating in New Ashdon Park, said with his team working in the area, they have had to do away with hundreds of trees to build homes for their clients.

“I remember there were plenty of trees; in fact, there was a huge forest area here, but those trees are no more now because as we worked, we cut them down.

“You only see houses now,” Shumba told IPS.

According to environmentalists, the impact of deforestation is problematic.

“Very soon, towns and cities will have no more trees left as buildings take their place,” Marylin Mahamba, an independent environmental activist in Harare, told IPS.

For instance, as Mahamba notes, Harare is no longer the same, with scores of open urban spaces taken over for construction and trees uprooted.

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, is even worse, with Mahamba claiming the city has been pummeled by deforestation left, right, and centre as more residential areas rise.

Yet it is not only the rise of more buildings across towns and cities here that has led to deforestation but electricity deficits, according to climate change experts.

“The Zimbabwe Power Company is also to blame for failing to provide enough electricity.

“Gas is expensive, and many people can’t afford it. They opt for firewood because it is cheaper, and that’s why more urban trees are now vanishing,” Kudakwashe Makanda, a climate change expert based in Zimbabwe, told IPS.

But Makanda also pinned the blame for urban deforestation on rural-to-urban migration.

“There is now excessive expansion of towns in Zimbabwe. Obviously, this does not spare the forests.

“By nature, people would want to settle in urban areas, and by virtue of people wanting to settle in towns, people cut down trees establishing homes,” said Makanda.

Makanda also blamed local authorities for fuelling urban deforestation, saying, “the town councils are to blame.

“They allow people to occupy land not suitable for occupation resulting in trees being felled.”

With joblessness affecting as many as 90% of Zimbabwe’s population, according to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Makanda said in towns and cities, many have switched to firewood for livelihood.

“People are making a livelihood out of firewood, meaning more trees are disappearing in towns as dealers sell firewood which has become a source of income for many who are not formally employed,” said Makanda.

But for areas like New Ashdon Park with no electricity and with many residents like Mbariro having to depend on firewood while other areas contend with regular power outages, Makanda also said, “power cuts are causing deforestation in towns, especially in areas with no power connection, people rely on firewood.”

Yet stung by joblessness, Makanda said urban dwellers are clearing unoccupied pieces of land to farm in towns and cities, but at the cost of the trees that must be removed.

To fix the growing menace of urban deforestation in Zimbabwe, climate change experts like Makanda have said, “there is a need for incentivizing alternative power sources like solar so that they become affordable in order to save the remaining urban forests.”

Denis Munangatire, an environmentalist with a degree in environmental studies from the Midlands State University, claimed 4000 trees are getting destroyed annually across Zimbabwe’s towns and cities.

According to this country’s Forestry commission, these are among the 262 000 hectares of forests destroyed every year in Zimbabwe.

Like Makanda, Munangatire heaped the blame on local authorities in towns and cities for fueling deforestation.

“Urban councils are responsible for the disappearance of trees in towns and cities because they are leaving land developers wiping out forests, leaving few or no trees standing in areas they develop,” Munangatire told IPS. – IPS

Slider

Health ministry urges caution as Mpox cases rise

Published

1 month ago

August 30, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The Ministry of Health and Childcare has issued a statement urging citizens to take immediate action to protect themselves and others from Mpox, a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to people.

As cases of Mpox continue to rise, the ministry is advising residents to avoid physical contact with anyone showing signs and symptoms of the disease, including a rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Additionally, citizens are cautioned against sharing personal items, eating undercooked meat, and having unprotected contact with wild animals.

“Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer,” the statement reads.

“Wear a mask if you cannot avoid close contact, and ensure that all foods containing animal meat or parts are thoroughly cooked before consumption.”

The ministry’s guidance comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern about the spread of Mpox in the African context.

According to WHO, the outbreak has resulted in over 15 600 cases and 537 deaths, with the number of cases increasing steadily over the past year.

“Mpox is a significant public health threat,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “

We urge communities to take proactive measures to prevent the spread of the disease.”

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The declaration comes after an Emergency Committee of independent experts met to review data on the outbreak, which has affected several countries in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Slider

Good rains expected for SADC region, bringing hope to Zimbabwe and other countries

Published

1 month ago

August 29, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is expected to receive good rainfall in the coming 2024-2025 summer cropping season, bringing hope to countries such as Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Namibia.

This is according to the 29th Annual Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF) report, which forecasts normal to above-normal rainfall for the bulk of the region.

“The remainder of the region is likely to have normal to below-normal rainfall during this period of the 2024/25 season, including the island states of Comoros and Seychelles,” the report states. This is a welcome relief for countries such as Zimbabwe, which experienced one of the worst El Nino-induced droughts in years.

The report also notes that northern Madagascar is likely to receive above-normal rainfall during this period of the 2023/24 rainfall season, while the temperature outlook for the entire 2024/25 rainfall season is expected to be mostly above long-term averages over the whole SADC region.

“The outlook is broadly consistent with the forecasts generated with the multi-model ensemble of international dynamical climate forecast models presented by the World Meteorological Organisation,” the report says.

Regional experts say there are good chances of normal to below-normal conditions during the October to December (OND) period for south-western Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and north-east South Africa.

Below-normal rainfall is expected to expand to cover northern DRC and northern Tanzania by the December to February (DJF) period.

“The forecast probabilities are broadly consistent with the known influence of La Niña on the regional climate,” the report says.

A national forecast for Zimbabwe is expected to be made in the coming few days as the country steps up efforts to prepare for the summer crop.

Climate experts say La Niña events are also associated with heightened risk of cyclones – tropical storms that bring winds, heavy rains, damage, and destruction to countries in the region.

Tropical storms have caused severe humanitarian impacts in Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, including deaths and injuries, infrastructure damage, and long-lasting socio-economic impacts.

In summary, the SADC region can expect good rainfall in the coming summer cropping season, which is a welcome relief after the devastating El Nino-induced drought.

However, climate experts caution that La Niñas don’t always result in widespread rain, and the region should be prepared for any eventuality.

Slider

WHO declares mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern

Published

2 months ago

August 15, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a move to combat the growing mpox outbreak in Africa, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”Ghebreyesus said.

According to WHO, the outbreak has resulted in over 15 600 cases and 537 deaths, with the number of cases increasing steadily over the past year.

The emergence of a new virus strain, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, has particularly concerned experts.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said significant efforts are already underway to curb the outbreak, with country teams working closely with communities and governments to reinforce measures.

The organization is scaling up its response through coordinated international action to support countries in bringing the outbreaks to an end.

Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina emphasized that the current upsurge of mpox in Africa is not only an emergency for the continent but also for the entire globe.

WHO has released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities and is appealing to donors to fund the full extent of needs for the mpox response.