Nature in Zimbabwe

Nature governance in Zimbabwe is state-led and shared among several institutions rather than one central nature office. The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife sets national policy for biodiversity, wildlife, fisheries and forestry. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, known as ZPWMA, manages protected areas, wildlife administration, research, enforcement, conservation education, community conservation and Problem Animal Control. The Environmental Management Agency, or EMA, regulates environmental assessments and environmental information. The Forestry Commission manages and conserves forests, including gazetted indigenous forests covering about 0.8% of the national area. Section 73 of Zimbabwe's Constitution protects the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being. It also supports ecological conservation, sustainable natural-resource use, public access to environmental information, participation in significant projects and plans, and access to environmental justice. The Parks and Wildlife Act provides for national parks, botanical reserves and gardens, sanctuaries, safari areas and recreational parks. ZPWMA's national-park network includes Chimanimani, Chizarira, Gonarezhou, Hwange, Kazuma Pan, Mana Pools, Matobo, Matusadona, Nyanga, Victoria Falls and Zambezi. The landscapes differ sharply. The Eastern Highlands around Nyanga include Mount Nyangani at 2,592 metres and Mutarazi Falls at 762 metres, with more than 300 recorded bird species. Chimanimani covers about 17,110 hectares and contains Afro-montane forest, an Important Bird Area, 2,182 plant taxa and 74 endemic taxa. Hwange covers about 14,650 square kilometres of savanna grassland, teak and mopane woodland and supports approximately 100 mammal species and nearly 400 bird species. The Zambezi and Mana Pools landscape contains river, floodplain and riverine woodland; Mana Pools covers about 2,196 square kilometres and includes four pools that support hippos, crocodiles and elephants. Gonarezhou covers about 5,000 square kilometres in the south-eastern Lowveld within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, a cross-border conservation landscape. Matobo covers about 424 square kilometres of granite hills and river valleys and is known for diverse trees and grasses as well as rhino, sable, leopard and black eagle habitat. Wildlife, fish and specially protected plants are controlled under the Parks and Wildlife Act and related instruments, including rules for specially protected animals, hunting, trapping and imports or exports. Permits and licences can contain conditions, be refused, cancelled or amended, and are generally not transferable. There is no general private right to collect wildlife or indigenous plants. Illegal harvesting, poaching and wildlife trade are enforced across protected areas. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES, applies to international trade; Zimbabwe joined it in 1981. ZPWMA handles general permits, import and export permits and related licensing, but fees and processing times for trade permits require confirmation from the authority. Fishing usually requires a permit under section 85 of the Parks and Wildlife Act unless a statutory notice exempts the water. The appropriate authority can set species, quantity and other conditions and may require returns. Default permitted gear includes a rod or hand line with up to three single hooks or trout flies, or one conventional lure with up to three single, double or treble hooks. Explosives, firearms, chemicals, poisons, jigging devices and electrical devices are prohibited. Block permits can be available to affiliated National Anglers' Union of Zimbabwe societies, except for Chimanimani and Rhodes Inyanga waters. Forest use follows separate Forestry Commission pathways. These include permits to move or export forest produce, notices of intention to exploit forest produce in communal land, flue or flame-curing firewood licences, and renewal or replacement applications. Published forms do not establish uniform fees or processing times. A project that may affect nature, such as a dam, irrigation scheme, forestry activity, housing development, mine, quarry, power project, tourist facility, waste site or water-supply project, requires an EMA environmental and social impact assessment certificate before implementation. The process begins with a prospectus and can proceed to a full assessment by a registered consultant. The review period is 60 working days, the review fee is 0.8%, 1% or 1.2% of project cost depending on the project category, and a certificate is valid for two years. Quarterly progress reports are required. If work has not started, renewal should be requested six months before expiry; the published minimum renewal period is one month. The published extension fee is US$253.58, payable in Zimbabwe dollars at the interbank rate, for a one-year extension. Visitors book ZimParks accommodation and access through the ZimParks portal by selecting nationality or residency, identification and dates. Zimbabwean users are charged in Zimbabwe dollars, while other categories are charged in US dollars. Payment options include cash, Visa, Mastercard, EcoCash and Zimswitch. A booking reference is presented at the gate. Local bookings are held for 72 hours and international bookings for seven working days. Full payment is required. Standard check-in is 14:00 and check-out is 10:00; a no-show by 18:00 may lead to re-letting and loss of the booking. Vehicle entry is charged separately. Infants aged 0 to 6 have no entry fee, children aged 6 to 12 receive a 50% conservation-fee discount, school groups may receive discounts and seven consecutive nights can qualify for a 10% discount. Most self-catering facilities are unfenced, so doors and windows should remain secure and food should not attract wildlife. The booking FAQ and terms page state different cancellation outcomes, so the applicable condition should be confirmed before payment. A Nyanga listing displays conservation and vehicle-entry fees of US$5 for local visitors, US$8 for regional visitors and US$10 for international visitors, but park, accommodation, season and nationality tariffs vary. Natural hazards include veld fires, flash floods, dangerous wildlife, slippery rocks and malaria risks in some areas. ZPWMA reports about 1 million hectares of forest and grassland lost annually to veld fires and uses awareness work, fireguards, gravel fire roads and planned early burning in selected areas. During the rainy season in Chimanimani, visitors should avoid riverbank camping and use higher ground. Park warnings can concern elephants with calves, rhinos with calves, hippos, crocodiles and lions. Guided mountain hikes are recommended where terrain and wildlife create additional risk. Human-wildlife conflict can be reported through ZPWMA's Problem Animal Control pathway. Community conservancies support community-owned land, rangeland and fishery management together with local livelihoods. CAMPFIRE, the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources, provides a community, rural district council and traditional-leadership pathway outside protected areas. A cited elephant-management example allocated revenue at 55% to the community, 41% to the rural district council and 4% to the CAMPFIRE Association, but that example is not a universal national entitlement. In Gonarezhou, local council and community responses can be requested; its plan gives preference to capture or relocation and treats lethal force as an absolute last resort. ZPWMA runs school and community programmes, wildlife clubs in more than 200 schools and Junior Rangers selected from those clubs and accompanied by rangers. The Zimbabwe Institute of Wildlife Conservation provides formal wildlife and conservation training, while admission requirements and fees were not established in the available facts. General ZPWMA enquiries use +263 8677707627; Problem Animal Control uses 0779 393 908; hunting enquiries use 0774 362 632; CITES permits use 0712 965 945; EMA uses registry@ema.co.zw and +263 8677 006 244; and the Forestry Commission uses info@forestry.co.zw and +263 4 498436-9.