FARMERS SHUN WHEAT

Little wheat will be grown in Zimbabwe this year unless the Government provides funds.
With only less than three weeks to the wheat planting deadline of May 15 in the Lowveld and May 25 in other areas, most farmers who had been willing to produce the crop have

started panicking since there has not been any announcement of a funding facility. Irrigated wheat grown in Zimbabwe can be more expensive than imported wheat so local production requires Government intervention.

Most farmers said even if the funding is availed it would be too late to grow the crop and realise meaningful profits. Zimbabwe Farmers Union second vice president, Mr Berean Mukwende said most wheat farmers were pinning their hopes on the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, which had shown an interest in funding wheat production but has changed heart.

Mr Mukwende attacked the millers for withdrawing the funding facility at the eleventh hour and said this has worsened the situation.

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76307:farmers-shun-wheat&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UX4q_koR3IU

RAINS SPOIL TOBACCO

Some tobacco farmers incurred heavy losses after their crop was affected by the recent rains during transportation to the auction floors in Harare. The affected farmers said this had resulted in their crop

being rejected at the floors for being too wet.
Wedza farmer Mr Tawanda Chisvo said his crop fetched low prices as the quality had been compromised by the rains.

“The problem is that some of the transporters do not have proper tents that can adequately protect the bales from the rains. That some of the bales will be rejected during sales means I will have to stay for a longer period at the auction floors waiting to re-bale and sell the tobacco,” he said.

Chiweshe farmer, Mrs Mariana Chaipa said instead of drying the crop and repacking herself, it was better to sell the affected tobacco on the parallel market and go back home.

“We negotiate on the price considering the price that would have been offered by licenced buyers in the first place. For instance, if I was supposed to get US$170 from my bale I can sell it at US$100 than for me to stay longer,” she said.

Some contracted growers at the Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco said the rains had made life hard for them as they had to spend about two days stuck in the long queues.

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75825:rains-spoil-tobacco&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UX4oSkoR3IU

Vic Falls Rainforest the natural wonder

 






















NATURE’S exhaustless generosity bestowed upon Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, in its grand totality whose
 grandeur and splendour defines tourist attraction beyond mere tourism magazine hyperbole. The Victoria Falls are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and are undoubtedly the best
tourist attraction in Zimbabwe.

They are also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world and the only one found in Southern Africa.
Very few destinations in Africa, and indeed the world over can offer the tourist visual delight like the Victoria Falls. The Zambezi River plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges that are more than 2km wide at this point and raises an iridescent mist that can be seen from more than 20km away.

A series of immense cataracts where 500 000 cubic litres of water plunge — per minute — thunderously over about 1 700 metres wide cliff edge during the peak period, is a rare spectacle. Very, very, rare indeed.
It is certainly the cash cow of Zimbabwe tourism and all and sundry should understand why suddenly it has become the cynosure of the world as it prepares to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation 2013 General Assembly with Livingstone in Zambia.

There is no doubt that the UNWTO family will enjoy everything including aerial excursions courtesy of the Flight of the Angels, river rides in boats, elephant rides and, of course, the Zambezi sunset cruise.
Every discerning tourist — the world over — wishes to visit the Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls National Park is umbilically attached to Zambezi National Park, upstream. The two are inseparable.
The resultant spewing mist from the gorges nurture a rainforest, a vast swathe of exquisite beauty, where ferns, sycamore figs, ebony, mahogany and palm trees flourish.
A well-manicured path meanders through the rainforest giving a view of the falls and effectively juxtaposing it with the forests, for the discerning eye.
It is fact not fiction that preservation of the rainforest is achieved to a large extend through managing activities that would impact on the flow regime of the Zambezi River system.
Management practices that would make the rainforest more resilient to current variability in climate change have not, therefore, been restricted to only the rainforest and meant an integrated approach, rather than managing the rainforest as an island.
The rainforest as part of Victoria Falls National Park should be viewed as a bigger ecosystem that cannot be managed as a discrete unit without triggering a slow but sure process of degradation.
The area was designated a national park after 1975 despite having being designated a national monument in 1972.
This was after the realisation that the rainforest is one of the only two forests in Zimbabwe with high biodiversity status species and habitats that were poorly represented in other parts of the country and face the greatest threats in terms of replacement and vulnerability.
The level of importance of the ecosystem of the Victoria Falls rainforest requires specialised conservation skill

Maize farmers want US$400/tonne

Farmers unions have submitted proposals to the Government to peg the producer price for maize this year at US$400 per tonne, up from the US$295 which the Grain Marketing Board is currently paying.
Private buyers are offering prices just above US$300 per tonne.
The grain marketing season begins on April 1 and the Government is yet to fix the producer price for this year.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union second vice president Mr Berean Mukwende said production costs had been increasing by high margins every year while the producer price remained stagnant.
“We have submitted a proposal to Government. We are looking at a price of US$400 per tonne to recoup production costs. That is our recommendation because generally that is also the landing price for imported maize,” he said.
Mr Mukwende said the producer price would protect farmers from unscrupulous grain buyers who often rip them off by offering very low prices.
Maize production has generally declined in the country due to droughts experienced in some parts of the country and also low producer prices which have driven some farmers to shift to other crops like tobacco.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union vice president Mr Johnson Mapira said the GMB should not pay less than US$400 per tonne to restore confidence among farmers.
Mr Mapira urged farmers to aim for higher yields per hectare in order to get more returns.
“We encourage farmers to aim for at least four tonnes of maize per hectare. It is even possible for farmers to get 10 tonnes per hectare and if we multiply it by US$400, it is a lot of money,” he said.
He urged farmers to deliver their grain to the GMB early to prevent it from deteriorating in quality mainly due to pests.
Zimbabwe requires 1 384 million tonnes of grain for human consumption and 350 000 tonnes for livestock and other uses.
This year the country is again facing maize shortages and will have to import with agriculture experts calling on the Government to rehabilitate and install irrigation infrastructure as well as provide incentives for producing the crop. - New Ziana.http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73083:maize-farmers-want-us400tonne&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UWKEMDcR3IU

Tobacco farmers rake in US$128m

FARMERS have earned a collective U$160 million from the sale of 43 million kilogrammes since the opening of the tobacco selling season in February.
This is an increase of 25 percent from the US$128 million realised during the same period last year.
The latest Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics show that the weekly throughput recorded 11,1 million kg with a weekly averageprice of US$3,85 per kg.
Contractors raked in 6,5 million kg averaging US$3,91 per kg with the remainder being sold at an average price of US$3,77 per kg.
According to TIMB, sales to date have risen to 42,8 million kg at an average price of US$3,74 per kg.
During the same period last year seasonal sales were 34,5 million kg averaging US$3,71 per kg.
The Tobacco Sales Floor is the auction floors having sold 6,1 million kg worth US$23,1 million.
Boka Tobacco Floors sold the second highest amount of tobacco with 6 million kg having gone under the hammer while Premier Tobacco Floors sold 4,6 million kg worth US$16 million.
So far a total of 600 799 bales have been laid at both auction and contract floors with 561 429 sold.
A total of 32 404 were rejected for various reasons such as being too wet, mouldy or of mixed hands.
To date, about 82 833 growers have registered for 2013 season compared to about 58 801 who had registered by the same period last year.
Small-scale farmers are dominating as they constitute more than 80 percent of the registered growers.
There are 35 755 A1 registered growers, 32 966 communal, 7 843 small-scale and 6 278 A2 farmers.
The growth in the number of tobacco growers has been attributed to the increase in the number of farmers due to the land reform and the attractive prices being offered by buyers.
The attractive prices has seen 30 percent of traditional cotton growers shifting to tobacco during this season.
A total of 170 million kilogrammes are expected to be sold this season as the country moves towards regaining the status as one of the top tobacco producers in the world.http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72937:tobacco-farmers-rake-in-us128m&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UWKCtjcR3IU

HEAVY RAINS EXPECTED FROM TODAY

The Meteorological Services Department has warned of flash flooding, strong winds and possibly hail in some areas as the country is expected to receive heavy rainfall starting today.
The rains are expected to cover the whole country by tomorrow.
MSD acting deputy director operations, Mr Reynold Ndoro yesterday said a cloud system was expected to move into the country today starting from the southern districts; Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Masvingo.
“The southern districts should receive heavy falls in excess of 50mm in 24 hours. On Thursday rainfall should increase to cover the whole country with heavy falls in some areas.
“From Friday, the rains are expected to decline to remain confined over the Harare and Mashonaland provinces,” he said.
Mr Ndoro said there was a high risk of flash flooding, strong winds and hail in some areas during this period.
“The Meteorological Services Department encourages the public to take the necessary measures to safeguard life and property in those areas that will be affected.” “Last month heavy rains associated with strong winds destroyed property especially cars that were parked under trees.
Roads were damaged while some areas went for days without electricity due to the destruction caused by those rains. The 2012/13 rainfall season was delayed forcing many farmers to plant late.http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72869:heavy-rains-expected-from-today&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UVvlQjcR3IU

Plant early, winter wheat farmers urged

The Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) has urged farmers intending to plant winter wheat this year to make preparations early in order to maximise production.

The winter wheat planting season has already begun and the ZFU says farmers should be making land preparations and securing working capital to avoid late planting.

Winter wheat planting over recent years has been disorganised due to funding constraints and power shortages.

ZFU Second Vice President, Berean Mukwende said funding remains the major challenge to winter wheat planting as most farmers are still harvesting and have no working capital.

“Funds are a bit tricky so far as one or two companies are promising to contract farmers, which is quite a major concern. Policy makers and the general public might wonder why funding is a perennial problem but this is because some farmers planted soya beans and are still harvesting so they do not have funds. Even some that sold tobacco have not finished selling so right now they cannot buy inputs. It is different from summer cropping where farmers plant in November after having sold their crops in around March and April,” said Mukwende.     

Winter wheat cropping is dependant on timing and farmers can maximise yields by planting as early as February but the last date for irrigating the crop falls on the 15th of May.

Last year, 4 000 hectares were put under wheat production against the targeted 50 000 hectares.

Payments by the Grain Marketing Board to majority of farmers who delivered their wheat are however expected to improve production.  

ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT ON ENVIRONMENT

 
                                                                                          Government has applauded environmental organisations for working in partnerships to achieve sustainable development.Officiating at the Environment Africa’s 20th annual general meeting, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management secretary Ms Florence Nhekairo said individual effort did not yield the same results.

“This is evident in Environment Africa’s approach of establishing and supporting Private Public Community Partnerships.
“The main focus in this approach is the involvement of communities that have often been left on the periphery of development initiatives,” she said.
Ms Nhekairo said partnerships were incomplete without the communities and development was incomplete if communities continued to be sidelined.
She said Environment Africa was complementing Government’s efforts of reforestation.
“The Ministry supports the “For Every Child, A Tree Campaign” as it seeks to bring awareness on the importance of trees to the young generations who are the leaders of tomorrow.
“I believe such initiatives are the way forward in addressing our environmental concerns as these affect us all and will have a negative impact on generations to come,” she said.
http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72109:environmentalist-lauded&catid=38:local-news&Itemid=131#.UVmBxTcR3IU

UNIVERSITY STUDENT CROWNED FOR MISS BULAWAYO ENVIRONMENT

BULAWAYO – Tshwane University student Nkanyeziyethu Malunga beat 16 contestants to claim the inaugural glamorous Miss Bulawayo Environment 2012 beauty pageant title at a colourful and well-attended ceremony held at Horizon Pub on Friday.

Seventeen-year-old Atipa Busuman landed the Miss Personality title.

Twenty three-year-old Malunga was flanked by Marybeth Ushe (20) crowned the first princess and Thubelihle Ncube (22) as the second princess. Seventeen-year-old Atipa Busuman landed the Miss Personality title.

Initially, the competition was set to have 20 models fighting for the honours but unfortunately four of them failed to make it to the finals due to an alleged failure to complete an environmental project which was a prerequisite for the competition.
Standing in for deputy prime minister Thokozani Khupe, director in her office Adelis Sibuta was not only the guest of honour but crowned the inaugural winner Malunga much to a delight of revellers who had packed the venue.
“I don’t even know what to say about this. I am just so delighted as this is the biggest achievement I have made in life. I am hoping that I will take this to greater heights in as far as preserving our environment is concerned,” Malunga told the Daily News in a visibly ecstatic mood after being crowned queen.
For her feat, the Phelandaba-based Malunga walked away with various accolades including vouchers; ICDL courses from a college of her own choice, two week holiday at Victoria Falls and cash prizes among other benefits.
As unique as it was, the contestants took to the ramp on four categories that included the environment funky wear, contemporary wear, evening wear and designer wear. However, the swim wear category was ruled out as it was considered not in line with the advocacy for preserving the environment.
Interestingly, the pageant’s environmental theme, “Forests for People” saw models strolling on the ramp clad in recycled material in the form of green tree branches and leaves, recycled plastics, newspapers and cud boxes.
Sibuta urged the models to be true ambassadors in the endeavour to reduce the negative effects of environmental degradation in the country.
“As models you are expected to uphold the values of Ubuntu as we take the fight to preserve our endangered environment. For the winners, you have a tough challenge ahead of you; use this platform to be the Malaika Mashandus of tomorrow. This is exactly what we expect from you. Let it not end here,” added Sibuta.
She said the beauties should remember that this was not about cash and beauty “but about beautiful intelligence. We are looking for beautiful intellectuals who are able to take the environmental challenge ahead of them.”
Pageant director Briaton Takundwa expressed his gratitude to the support that the event received from the corporate world as well as government through the ministry of Environment and Human Resource Management.
Hip-hop rapper Poy and local dance group Simunye Simunya did what they know best while supermodel, TV and radio personality Godfrey Koti was the master of ceremony. The Miss Zimbabwe Environment event will be held in Harare on April 27 as part of the grand plan to go national. Daily News

THE Bulawayo City Council fined $5 000

THE Bulawayo City Council has been fined $5 000, while a number of companies have been fined up to $1 000 for environmental crimes that result in the pollution of Umguza River.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) also fined a number of leather tanning companies in the Belmont industrial area, for releasing untreated toxic chemicals directly into the environment.

The toxins reportedly end up in Umguza River, via the city's storm drains, where they can cause cancer, skin disorders and a number of water-borne diseases to villagers in Umguza district.
They also kill fish and other marine life.

Leading bakeries that include Lobels and Bakers Inn were issued with warnings in an ongoing monitoring exercise by the agency.

Speaking during a tour of illegal dumpsites and environmental hotspots in the city, EMA's provincial environmental manager for Bulawayo, Mr Decent Ndlovu, said the pollution at Umguza River had reached a crisis levels.

He appealed to the judiciary to mete out stiffer sentences to offenders saying at present, the country's legal system did not seem to take environmental crimes seriously, although they had far reaching effects that could affect people for generations.

"We issued BCC with a ticket for $5 000 for discharging raw sewage directly into the environment at a number of points, including broken pipes at Sidojiwe Flats and another broken pipe that pours effluent directly into Umguza River at Kingsdale suburb. The problem at Kingsdale has been around for more than two years," said Mr Ndlovu.

He said council was contravening section 22 (1) of Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007.

"The waste from other pipes in the city travels through storm drains and eventually reaches Umguza River. It infects the water with faecal colliforms that have pathogens that can cause cholera, dysentery, bilharzia and typhoid. These diseases can be communicated to people who drink the water downstream at Umguza," said Mr Ndlovu.

When Chronicle visited the discharge sites, an overpowering stench pervaded the areas.

Mr Ndlovu said the Cold Storage Company (CSC), Belmont Leather and Prestige Leather were fined $500 each for illegal dumpsites while another tannery was fined $1 000 for deliberately channelling toxic effluent into the city's storm drains.

"These companies were dumping animal skins at unlicensed points, thereby contravening section 5 (1) of SI 6/07 of the Environmental Management Act Chapter 20:27. These skins are treated with chromium 6, a highly toxic substance that can cause cancer, skin disorders and irritation or ulcers in the stomach and intestines. They also have dangerous acids which all find their way to Umguza River. They also contaminate ground water when it rains," he said.

The dumpsites had an acrid stench, suggestive of a high acid content as the skins decomposed.

The water in Umguza River had a black colour and a bad smell.

"Residents have often complained of the smell that is caused by the smell from Matsheumhlope and Mazayi Rivers caused by these chemicals and effluent from council sewers. We have received a complaint from the Association of Businesses in Zimbabwe and St Patrick's Hotel among others," said Mr Ncube.

He said EMA suspected that a number of companies deliberately dumped toxic waste into water bodies at night, adding that investigations by the agency would expose them.

Mr Ndlovu said EMA would compile a list of industries that were guilty of releasing untreated waste into the environment and educate them on the dangers.

"Our staff can assist them to come up programmes for safely disposing of waste. We are prepared to carry out workshops with companies and inspections for compliance are ongoing," he said.

"We appeal to members of the public to report environmental crimes in Bulawayo to EMA at (09) 64705. As an agency, we say environmental information should be availed to anyone who needs it. Companies who cause pollution should be able to explain their actions to the public."

Mr Ndlovu said entities like BCC that had been warned a number of times risked being taken to court or appearing before the EMA Board for stiffer sentences. The city of Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton have appeared before the board after repeatedly flouting environmental law.

Zim honoured to host UNWTO general assembly

zimbabwe and Zambia will host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly as part of President Mugabe’s dream to showcase the country as a world of wonders, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said. Speaking during a public lecture at the University of

Zimbabwe yesterday, Minister Mzembi said Zimbabwe would exploit the honour bestowed upon it to develop Victoria Falls to international levels.
Minister Mzembi said Government had set aside more than 1 200 hectares of land to develop permanent structures that would increase tourist arrivals in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe expects more than three million arrivals this year.
The target is expected to exceed the 15 million targeted for 2015 after the UNWTO general assembly in August next year.

“We are hosting the UNWTO general assembly as a vision that President Mugabe had and we, as the tourism ministry what we are doing is to interpret the king’s dream,” he said.
Minister Mzembi dismissed reports that Zimbabwe would use temporary structures for the general assembly.

“We will not trivialise President Mugabe’s dream by building temporary structures for the meeting.
“Our vision is to have conference facilities that would compete with the International Conference Centre in Cape Town or facilities in Kenya or Durban in Victoria Falls,” he said.

Minister Mzembi said playing host to the UNWTO was an opportunity to build structures that would last for generations.
“It was President Mugabe’s dream that Zimbabwe hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in 1992.
“It is the same vision by the same leader that would see us develop the Victoria Falls to attract more tourists into Zimbabwe.”

He said Zimbabwe would want to build structures that last for generations like what South Africa, Britain and China did after playing host to some sporting events.
Minister Mzembi said Zimbabwe was targeting citizens residing outside the country to increase tourist arrivals.
“The Diaspora contributes the largest source market for Zimbabwe. A Diaspora strategy is one of the key imperatives for attracting arrivals into Zimbabwe.”
Minister Mzembi urged Zimbabweans to work hard for the success of the meeting.

“The possibility of Zimbabwe hosting              such an event would take us another 372          years.
“We need to put the best foot forward to deliver a uniquely African general assem-          bly.
He said the UNWTO would rebrand Zimbabwe hence the need for unity in the country.

Minister Mzembi said Government wanted to develop Victoria Falls without interfering with its natural outlook.
“We have realised that Victoria Falls attracts a certain demographic group but there is a need to develop the area so that it also attracts the younger generations.”

Zimbabwe tourism is this year expected to contribute 12 percent to the GDP translating to more than US$1 billion to the economy.
The tourism and hospitality sector also expects to contribute more than 15 percent to the GDP with US$5 billion a year.
Zimbabwe and Zambia are the hosts of the UNWTO in Victoria Falls from August 21 to 28 next year.

VICTORIA FALLS

NATURE’S exhaustless generosity bestowed upon Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, in its grand totality whose grandeur and splendour defines tourist attraction beyond mere tourism magazine hyperbole. The Victoria Falls are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and are undoubtedly the best
tourist attraction in Zimbabwe.
They are also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world and the only one found in Southern Africa.

Very few destinations in Africa, and indeed the world over can offer the tourist visual delight like the Victoria Falls. The Zambezi River plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges that are more than 2km wide at this point and raises an iridescent mist that can be seen from more than 20km away.
A series of immense cataracts where 500 000 cubic litres of water plunge — per minute — thunderously over about 1 700 metres wide cliff edge during the peak period, is a rare spectacle. Very, very, rare indeed.
It is certainly the cash cow of Zimbabwe tourism and all and sundry should understand why suddenly it has become the cynosure of the world as it prepares to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation 2013 General Assembly with Livingstone in Zambia.
There is no doubt that the UNWTO family will enjoy everything including aerial excursions courtesy of the Flight of the Angels, river rides in boats, elephant rides and, of course, the Zambezi sunset cruise.
Every discerning tourist — the world over — wishes to visit the Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls National Park is umbilically attached to Zambezi National Park, upstream. The two are inseparable.
The resultant spewing mist from the gorges nurture a rainforest, a vast swathe of exquisite beauty, where ferns, sycamore figs, ebony, mahogany and palm trees flourish.
A well-manicured path meanders through the rainforest giving a view of the falls and effectively juxtaposing it with the forests, for the discerning eye.
It is fact not fiction that preservation of the rainforest is achieved to a large extend through managing activities that would impact on the flow regime of the Zambezi River system.
Management practices that would make the rainforest more resilient to current variability in climate change have not, therefore, been restricted to only the rainforest and meant an integrated approach, rather than managing the rainforest as an island.
The rainforest as part of Victoria Falls National Park should be viewed as a bigger ecosystem that cannot be managed as a discrete unit without triggering a slow but sure process of degradation.
The area was designated a national park after 1975 despite having being designated a national monument in 1972.
This was after the realisation that the rainforest is one of the only two forests in Zimbabwe with high biodiversity status species and habitats that were poorly represented in other parts of the country and face the greatest threats in terms of replacement and vulnerability.
The level of importance of the ecosystem of the Victoria Falls rainforest requires specialised conservation skill.

Mana Pools: Zimbabwe’s new tourism paradise

BY TANYARADZWA NYAMUTSWA

 

ASK any discerning Chinese tourist which one is the best tourist attraction to visit in Zimbabwe, if they don’t say Mana Pools, think twice about them. There is a place the Chinese have fallen in love with.

 As the mighty Zambezi River serpentines down to the ocean after Victoria Falls, its decent but powerful flow is disturbed not by natural phenomena, but by a huge man-made water trap, Kariva, bastardised to Kariba.

In the belly of the massive Kariba Dam wall is a hydro-electricity generation spectacle, which is a tourist attraction in its own right, besides supplying electricity to Zimbabwe and Zambia.

This spectacle, no doubt, disturbs the decency of the river as its starts its long frothy journey into tot the Lower Zambezi Valley on its final journey to another man-made trap, Cabora Bassa, where the water escapes once again on its final tour to the Indian Ocean.

But of interest today is the area between Kariba and Cabora Bassa, which has fast become the new tourism hub of Zimbabwe, after the Victoria Falls.

After angrily gushing out of the wrath of the cruel turbines in its escape from Lake Kariba, the water appears a bit fatigued as it disappears into a narrow gorge that looks like an abyss.

Surprisingly, the river thereafter, emerges from the deep gorge reinvigorated and spreading into a flattened, fertile and vast expanse of floodplain that geomorphology condemned into twists and turns that systematically formed four (mana in Shona lingua franca) pools, and ox-bow lakes.
The mighty Zambezi River flows through the Lower Zambezi Valley, a huge rift in the earth’s crust.
Over the millennia the Zambezi has rushed through this valley creating islands, channels and sandbanks.

Old river meanders, left in the mineral-rich volcanic soils, have formed into small ox-bow lakes surrounded by lush vegetation and tall old stands of mahogany and ebony. This abundance of water and luxuriant greenery accounts for the valley’s wealth of big game.
The pools are forever bursting with a profusion of birds and animals, especially during dry season from June to October.

Welcome to Mana Pools, Zimbabwe’s second World Heritage Site and latter-day tourist attraction of choice.

Here the visitor is treated to a perfect theatre of the jungle.
Within the stunted bush shrubbery and lush vegetation surrounding the four huge pools, buffalo graze hurriedly conscious of stalking lions and appear always restless while on the trees, chirping birds summersault from one branch to another.

Under the canopy of whipping riverine trees, a spitting distance away, elegant eland mix with shaggy water buck, radiant butterflies flutter gently between flowering shrubs while dragon flies hover above lily flowers.

For those who have fallen in love with nature, the effortless aerial displays of dragonflies on the lily-studded water ponds are a spectacle to watch.
There are also flycatchers, white-collared pratincole, banded snake eagle and yellow spotted nicator birds.

It is common spectacle to see a huge elephant bull, stand on its hind legs, its trunk attempting to reach for its lunch from a sausage tree.

This is Mana Pools, where Zambezi River changed its course a long time ago due to massive siltation, forming four distinct ox-bow lakes.

WATER CRISIS IN HARARE

Governments must craft watertight policies that will safeguard the rights of migrants and national security of migrant receiving countries. Addressing participants in a two day national migration
management workshop in Harare yesterday, Foreign Affairs secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha said migration is a cross cutting phenomenon that requires close collaboration of Government and civilian structures.

In a speech read on his behalf  by multi-national affairs acting director Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro, Ambassador Bimha said the ambiguous characteristic of migration required an all encompassing approach recognising the diverse responsibilities and co-ordinated response to migration issues.

He said some countries had shunned such structures or closed them completely because they are a potential magnet for people from all over the world.

HEAVY RAINS HIT HARARE

HEAVY rains accompanied by strong winds and hail pounded Harare and some parts of the country uprooting trees and destroying various properties yesterday.The rains left some parts of Harare without electricity.Some of the affected areas had power restored soon after the storm while others still had no electricity last night.Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira confirmed the power outage after the storm.“The violent storm covered the greater part of Harare destroying trees and power cables resulting in the power cuts,” he said.Mr Gwasira said Zesa had managed to restore power in some of the areas.He said some of the areas would continue without power because of manpower shortages and material needed in the affected areas.Mr Gwasira said power would be restored today.
The Meteorological Services Department yesterday said the storms were confined over the northern districts of Zimbabwe.


MSD acting deputy director Mr Reynold Ndoro said the rains were received in Mashonaland, Harare and North of Manicaland.Mr Ndoro said thunderstorm activity was expected to cover the whole country by last night. The rains were, however, expected not to last for a long period. In Harare, the heavy rains uprooted trees in and around the city resulting in several roads being blocked. Most motorists had to negotiate their way past the felled trees.Four people escaped unscathed when a giant tree fell on the car they were travelling in at the corner of 4th Street/Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
Michael Makarichi of Glen View 8, his daughter Maybe Mukanyiwa, Givemore Mutsika and Mariah Meki survived the accident.


The MSD, however, indicated that the weather would be cloudy today with morning rain and drizzle over Masvingo, Matabeleland South, south of Manicaland and Bulawayo.“However, the remainder of the country including Harare, Mashonaland, north of Manicaland and Matabeleland North should receive scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms.”The MSD said it would continue to monitor the situation and advise the public accordingly.

THE STATUS OF AIR POLLUTION IN

ZIMBABWE

Air Pollution is the introduction of substances or surplus energy as waste products of

human activities into the atmosphere which directly or indirectly adversely alter or

destroy the quality of the environment or cause undesirable effects on man, animals,

vegetation or materials. The wastes may be gaseous or particulate emissions.

In recent years Zimbabwe has experienced a rapid expansion in the national vehicle

population, increased investment in the manufacturing sector and higher energy demand.

These have resulted in high emission rates of major air pollutants resulting in

deterioration of the ambient air quality especially in the major cities of Harare,

Bulawayo,Gweru,Mutare andKwekwe.

 

SOURCES AND TYPES OF POLLUTANTS

There are natural as well as anthropogenic (i.e. human-induced) sources. The major

human activities that generate the bulk of air pollutants are transportation, industrial

processes, industrial and non-industrial fugitive processes, the energy production, waste

management and agricultural activities.

Transportation

Transportation is a major source of air pollutants. Vehicles are probably the largest single

source of pollutants such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Other

harmful emissions include as lead, benzene, arsenic,aldehydes,sulphates, particulate

matter and the secondary creation of ozone. The lead content of petrol is 4 g/

l which ishigher than the permitted levels in other parts of the world. The national vehicle

population has significantly increased in recent years. 

 

The main problem associated with this rapid growth in vehicle population in the

major cities is increase concentration of line and area emission sources due to road

congestion at peak times. The stock of vehicles is quite old and they lack emission

control equipment. High import tariffs on vehicles and the absence of emission standards

means that the country will continue to be flooded with imports of low cost second-hand

vehicles that do not meet strict emission standards of the counties of their origin.

Soils and soil erosion in Zimbabwe

Soil erosion involves the detachment of soil particles from larger aggregates and the removal of the particles by flowing water and wind. In the climatic conditions which prevail throughout most of Zimbabwe fluvial erosion is dominant, that is the effects of rain splash and run-off, both surface and subsurface. Soil erosion is an extremely complex phenomenon varying both spatially and temporally. 

Rates of soil formation in Zimbabwe are very slow (e.g. 400 kgs/ha/year), whereas rates of soil erosion are very much greater; estimates for average soil losses on crop lands and grazing areas on commercial farms are 5 tonnes/ha/year and 3 tonnes/ha/year respectively; the equivalent average for communal lands are 50 and 75 tonnes/ha/year. These rates have been generally accepted for a long time but more recent observations indicate that these rates may be largely exaggerated. These rates were the result of a survey carried out on a specific single soil type in one ecological region, thus the replicability of these findings across a country, with high variability, in terms of the erosive and stabilizing factors, is questionable.

The consequences of this erosion are seen in general declines in crop yields and very high rates of siltation of reservoirs, especially of the smaller dams used for rural water supplies. Small dams are likely to fill with sediments within 15 years of construction and even the larger irrigation schemes are being affected adversely by siltation problems. 

Soil erosion is clearly an important problem especially within the communal lands. It is essential that conservation measures be considered a key part of development strategies in these areas rather than being treated as a token appendage.

Global warming. Real or a myth?

Global warming. Real or a myth?

Debates are raging over the authenticity by claims by environmentalists that global warming is real and are indeed threatening to wipe out the planet earth.  Evidence seems to point out to an increase of a number of weather related catastrophes worldwide over the past couple of decades....HURRCANES, CYCLONES, DROUGHTS. 

Weather patterns are becoming more difficult to predict and seasons are reportedly changing.  More questions than answers continue to arise when one tries to unpack this phenomenon: Could the human race be slowly destroying their inhabitant? Is there a genuine desire by world leaders to address the concerns by civic organisations to lessen air pollution, which seems to be a major contributor of this global menace?

 Conferences after conference seem to bear little but rhetoric and accusations on who is to be blame for global warming. Some have even have dismissed global warming as a myth despite the evidence that seems to state otherwise.

What is Deforestation?

THE CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION IN ZIMBABWE

  Deforestation refers to the cutting, clearing, and removal of rainforest or related ecosystems into less bio-diverse ecosystems such as pasture, cropland, or plantations (Kricher, 1997). In Zimbabwe, deforestation seem to be at its high level since there is exessive  power cuts and high costs of electricity bills. most people who stay in urban areas especially in high density places experience a lot of power cuts and most of them cannot pay up the high costs since they are unemployed. 


 Zimbabwe's unemployment rate is approximately 10,7% and most of these people are found in these areas mentioned above. since people in urban areas can not pay up the high figures of electricity bills due to poverty they end up destroying the environment by cutting up many trees for firewood and leave the ground bare and prone to soil erosion. in so doing soil erosion can lead to land degradation and lead to hunger. this might be one of the causes of hunger in Zimbabwe as Zimbabwe has been experiencing hunger for the past years.

 some would like to blame the government for failing to provide enough electricity for its people. but many questions would like to arise when one thinks about this question. some would like to ask that who to blame the government or the people who are failing their bills? in answering this question one must also consider the factors that are leading people not to pay their bills.

http://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/deforestation.html

-Why should I care?

hello there!!!!  lam here  to discuss about the environment. before going anywhere one would love to know what environment is all about and know which environment one is staying in. the definations of environment would be given below and one has to knw that environment can be defined in social,political and heath terms.
The environment is the complex set of physical, geographic, biological, social, cultural and political conditions that surround an individual or organism and that ultimately determine its form and the nature of its survival.
The environment influences how people live and how societies develop. For that reason, people, progress, economic development and the environment are closely linked.
The environment can also pose risks. Air pollution, waterborne diseases, toxic chemicals, and natural disasters are some of the challenges the environment presents for mankind.
Natural resources, land, water, and forests are being degraded at an alarming rate in many countries -- and once they are gone, they are irreplaceable.
For development to be sustainable -- meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs -- countries must take into account environmental concerns in addition to economic progress.
Concern for a sound global environment is essential to fighting poverty, as the poorest people tend to live in the most vulnerable places.

Each year around the world:

• 3 million people die prematurely from waterborne diseases
• About 400,000 children under 5 die from diarrhea in India alone
• Around 1.6 million people die from exposure to cooking stove smoke inside their homes. About half of these deaths occur in India and China. Most victims are children and women from poor rural families who lack access to safe water, sanitation and modern household fuels
• A million people die from malaria, mostly in Sub-Saharan African countries
• A million people die from urban air pollution
• Respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria account for more than 20% of deaths in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization's Burden of Disease report.

Pollution has greater consequences:

• Fisheries are destroyed
• Crops are damaged
• Production costs rise for industries that must filter dirty air or water to maintain product quality

Extreme weather events (tornados, floods, hurricanes) are occurring more frequently and affecting more people than ever before. Poor people are the most vulnerable to environmental hazards.
As people move to cities from rural areas, environmental problems will increase. Rapid urbanization -- cities growing as people move from the countryside in search of better jobs and living conditions -- often increases the burden for poor people living in slums.