Zimbabwe is rich in mineral resources. Most minerals are found in the Great Dyke, including chromium ores, copper, asbestos, nickel, gold, silver, and iron ore. Large coal reserves are found in the north-west near Hwange. Other mineral resources include cobalt and tin.
E Environmental Concerns
Zimbabwe is mostly arid, with biomes ranging from dry woodland to grassland and dunes. Woodland covers about 22.5 per cent (1995) of the country, although the rate of deforestation is becoming serious. Reforestation programmes are under way to counteract the effects of firewood collection and pasture clearing. State forests make up slightly more than 2 per cent of the country, a small portion of which is moist forest. Wetlands are few, and some of the major ones are in or near protected areas.
Zimbabwe was among the first African nations to formulate a coherent conservation strategy, introduced in 1987. About 7.9 per cent (1997) of the country’s land is protected in a system that includes national parks, wildlife reserves, safari parks, and other areas. The government officially views the promotion of wildlife management as an economic form of sustainable resource use, and the country has a strong record of involving local people in the management of national parks, wildlife reserves, and other protected areas. Wildlife and game parks produce millions of pounds in tourist revenue, a large proportion of which remains in the local communities.
Zimbabwe’s rich biodiversity is important to its ecology and economy. Of about 192 endemic species, more than 40 per cent are endangered. Poaching is a serious threat, especially to valuable endangered species, such as the black rhinoceros and African elephant. The government protects some animal reserves with armed wardens.
Explosive population growth in the 1980s put significant pressure on agriculture and land use in Zimbabwe, yet per capita agricultural output did not increase between 1980 and 1990. Water availability is a major problem, and the nation is subject to periodic droughts that can be devastating to agriculture and the economy. Overcropping and overgrazing have led to soil erosion. Widespread pesticide contamination—especially from the dieldrin and DDT used in tsetse fly control—has significantly affected wildlife and human health. Zimbabwe participates in the World Heritage Convention, and three official sites have been designated. The country has also signed international environmental agreements on biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, law of the sea, and the ozone layer. Zimbabwe shares several cross-border protected areas with its neighbours Botswana and Zambia.
