Understanding Poverty, Promoting Wellbeing and Sustainable Development A sample survey of 16 districts of Zimbabwe anette Manjengwa, Sara Feresu and Admos Chimhowu Understanding poverty, promoting wellbeing and sustainable development A sample survey of 16 districts of Zimbabwe Contact details Institute of Environmental Studies, 2nd Floor, Computer Science Building, University of Zimbabwe, PO Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. Telephone No.: +263 (0)4 302 603 Fax No.: +263 (0)4 332 853 E-mail address: [email protected] Internet: http: www.ies.ac.zw Cover photographs: T. Mukwazhi, K. Kujinga ISBN number: 978-0-7974-51-80-3 EAN: 9780797451803 Sable Press, Harare November 2012 r Understanding poverty, promoting wellbeing and sustainable development About the Contributors Lead author and editor Jeanette Manjengwa. Dr Manjengwa is a senior lecturer and Deputy Director of the Institute of I Environmental Studies, l.'niversitv ot Zimbabwe. She is rile Principal Investigator lor the Moving Zimbabwe Forward: An I Evidence-Based Police Dialogue Initiative. Admos Chimhowu. Dr (Ehimhowu is a lecturer in the Institute of Development Police and Management, School ot I Environment and Development, University ot Manchester, lie is an Associate Director ot the Brooks World Poverty Institute which collaborated in the Moving Zimbabwe Forward Police Dialogue Initiative. Dominica Chingarande. Dr Chingarancle is a lecturer in the Sociology Department, Faculty of Social Studies, University of Zimbabwe. She carried out qualitative analysis ot the Moving Zimbabwe forw ard Wellbeing and Poverty study data. Sarah Feresu. Protessor I eresu is the Director ot the Institute ot I Environmental Studies, University of Zimbabwe. She provided administrative support to the poverty survey and is co-editor ot the report. Rudo Gaidzanwa. Professor Ciaidznnva is the Dean of the Faculty ot Social Studies, University ot Zimbabwe. She is a social scientist and gender specialist. Ibrahim Kasirye. Or kasirve is a Senior Research l cllow and the 1 lead of the Sectoral Department at rite I Economic Policy Research Centre (1EPRC), Mnkerere University, Uganda. Krasposy Kujinga. Mr Kujinga is a Doctor of Philosophy student at the Okavango Research Institute, l niversitv ot Botswana. Ngonidzashe Mararike. Ms Mararike is the managing consultant for Black Crystal 1 Env ironmental Consultants based in Harare. She was the Knowledge Manager tor the Mov ing Zimbabwe Forward Policy Dialogue Initiative. Wiseman Masunda. Mr Masunda works in the Sociology Department, Faculty ot Social Studies, University ot Zimbabwe. Collen Matema. Mr Matema is a Doctor of Philosophy student with the Centre tor Applied Social Sciences (CASS), University of Zimbabwe. Admire Nyamwanza. Mr Nvamvanza is a Doctor of Philosophy student with the Brooks World Poverty Institute, University of Manchester, UK. Charity Nyelele. Ms Nvelele is a Masters of Philosophy student at the Institute ot P.nvironmental Studies, L niversitv of Zimbabwe, registered in the Department ot Geography and I Environmental Science. IV Understanding poverty, promoting wellbeing and sustainable development A sample survey of 16 districts of Zimbabwe Chapter Eight Environment, Natural Resources and Poverty Reduction: Capturing and Sharing the Gains of Natural Resources Exploitation Jeanette Manjengwa Main messages • Natural resources have great potential to move people out of poverty. They can be used commercially as well as for household consumption and food security. • Zimbabwe has one of the highest endowments o f natural resources, such as gold, diamonds and platinum, which can fuel economic development and wealth creation. • Economic hardships andpoverty have pushed more people to over-use and misuse the environment and natural resources causing significant degradation. • Xatural resources must be utilised and managed in a careful manner to be sustainable. • Agriculturalproductivity should be enhanced, while maintaining ecosystems integrity and environmental quality. Introduction as to be more profitable and effective at raising incomes. On a global scale, Zimbabwe has one of the highest endowments of natural resources (Chasi, 2012). The One of the ways in which natural resources can be used government’s Medium Term Plan 2011-2015 (GoZ, 2011) and managed more effectively is through community points out that natural resources serve as a cornerstone empowerment initiatives. This Chapter looks at some for economic development and wealth creation. The of these initiatives, such as, community share ownership country’s economy relies heavily on natural resources, with trusts, the Communal Areas Management Programme the mining sector accounting for about 50 per cent of the for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) and natural country’s exports (GoZ, 2011). The agricultural resource product enterprises. These initiatives have important base supports the livelihoods of at least 70 per cent of multiplier effects on food security, income generation and the population in the rural areas (GoZ, 2011) who depend job creation. The Chapter explores issues around gold directly on the productivity of the environment for their panning, putting forward suggestions for a sustainable livelihoods. For the rural poor, this dependence is nearly gold panning approach that can benefit poor communities, absolute, to the extent that they depend on subsistences d while maintaining environmental quality. Besides valuable agriculture and the extraction and harvesting of natural minerals, the Chapter also looks at a range of wild foods resources from their environment (Frost, 2001). Indeed, that are essential for food security and improved nutrition, it is these abundant natural resources which provide as well as having significant economic potential to raise opportunities for a wide range of livelihood strategies incomes of the poor. which are invaluable for the survival of households, especially during times of shocks and stresses when the The deterioration of the economy over the past twelve i environment remains the only safety net for most of the years has driven more Zimbabweans to rely on nature and vulnerable rural communities. Thus the environment and natural goods than ever before. Globally poverty' normally natural resources must be an integral part of Zimbabwe’s drives those that can access nature to ‘mine’ resources I poverty reduction strategy. with little regard to what may happen in the future. In Zimbabwe, poverty7 is driving environmental degradation This Chapter identifies the various natural resources that and the two are locked together in a downward cycle are used for household food consumption, livelihoods, that is widening (Feresu, 2010). Cliffe (1988) argued that and commercially. There is potential for these resources ecological problems in Zimbabwe can only be addressed to be used more effectively and the Chapter explores how when poverty is eliminated. The Chapter therefore begins natural resources can be exploited in a more commercial with looking at the links between environment, natural manner, and be made more lucrative by value addition, so resources and poverty7 and examines Zimbabwe’s progress 79 Understanding poverty, promoting wellbeing and sustainable development A sample survey of 16 districts of Zimbabwe towards sustainable development. has not kept pace with natural population increases in communal areas, and consequently decongestion has been The MZF study investigated issues of environmental negligible (Hanlon et a i,2012). management because for resources to be sustainable their use has to be regulated and properly managed. The Chapter Progress towards sustainable development in also looks at environmental awareness and knowledge, and Zimbabwe implementation of natural resource rules and regulations. It ends with a number of policy suggestions of how the For sustainable development to occur it has been environment and natural resource base can contribute suggested that the poor are not the problem but are towards poverty reduction and sustainable development. the solution (Chambers 1988). The poor must be able to sustainably manage and benefit from the rich The link between environment and poverty and abundant natural resources to address poverty and promote inclusive growth in Zimbabwe. Poverty Zimbabwe has espoused sustainable development which reduction and sustainable development can be achieved integrates human development and environmental through effective implementation of the sound and conservation. Despite the popularity of this concept, progressive environmental policy7 framework, namely the worldwide there is evidence that poor people are getting National Environmental Policy and Strategies, and the poorer and the environment continues to be degraded. Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] and its The linkages between poverty and environment are regulations, together with other national legislation such complex and context specific. Environmental degradation as the Indigenization and Empowerment Act. in Zimbabwe is being driven by poverty' which has its roots in the economic and conservation dualism of The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource colonial policies. This was manifested in the unequal racial Management’s slogan is ‘The environment is everybody’s distribution of land resulting in overpopulation in the responsibility7’ and one of the principles of the communal areas most of which have low agro-ecological Environmental Management Act is that development must potential on one