Local Governance and Wetlands Management: A Tale of Harare City in Zimbabwe

Abstract

For years, urban scholars have underscored the value of pristine and functioning ecosystems, including urban wetlands, to human life. However, less well-understood is the role of local government (mainly urban municipalities) in preserving these wetlands, especially in African cities. Drawing on a Zimbabwean case study and utilising the Urban Sustainability Framework (USF), this article examines how and why the Harare municipality has failed to protect wetlands in and around Harare City by allowing for the expansion of infrastructural development in wetland areas despite the existence of city by-laws and planning policies regulating the built environment. The article further adopts a critical view of what the law prescribes for wetland preservation vis-à-vis the local government's practical actions in preserving urban ecosystems. Such an enquiry lies at the heart of understanding the sustainability of cities in the Global South in the wake of various anthropogenic and other human activities wrought by the growing pressures of urbanisation. The analysis is pertinent in deepening our empirical understanding of the role of local government and cities in shaping local, national and global sustainability.

Antecedents of attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products in Zimbabwe: an extension of the theory of planned behaviour

“…Harare, Zimbabwe as a research setting This section details the study's demarcation area, Harare, Zimbabwe. According to Mwonzora (2021) Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe with a population of 2,123,132 million. Chikosha and Potwana (2021) recommended that future research be done in more extensive, wealthier areas like Harare to see how the results turn out.…”