Zim launches first report tracking biodiversity economy

ZIMBABWE has launched its first report tracking the value of its rich biodiversity in its varied landscape and ecosystems as it steps up its mission to improve the harnessing of biodiversity for economic development.

The first-ever Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy (ZBE) report, which was launched recently, creates a common framework that enables the country to document the country’s rich biodiversity and map out strategies to harness it for the benefit of the people and the country.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife with support from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) worked together to produce the landmark report which was developed after it was realised that although Zimbabwe has rich biodiversity with economic benefits, there was no systematic framework to fully measure biodiversity contributions to economic development.

AWF Zimbabwe country director Dr Olivia Mufute said the ZBE report provides a framework that would help Zimbabwe to mainstream the value and contribution of nature into development planning, policy development, and decision-making on public and private sector investment.

This, she said, tallies with regional and international commitments made through the Kigali Call to Action and Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on the need to promote the development of biodiversity economies.

“AWF is pleased to have partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to produce the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Report, that not only sets a baseline on the value and contribution of nature, but also identifies viable business and investment opportunities through which Zimbabwe can unlock the enormous potential value in its rich biodiversity,” she said.

With funding support from AWF working with the environment ministry, the report went through several stages, including inception, validation of findings and the development of recommendations of the study.

Acting secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Tariro Musonza underscored the importance of the ZBE study in recognizing the key role of nature in harnessing opportunities and the long-term growth of a biodiversity economy towards the realization of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

“The main objective of the report is to ensure that the value of biodiversity is recognized and mainstreamed in development planning and national accounts for sustainable social and economic development,” she said. “Allow me at this stage to express our gratitude to the African Wildlife Foundation for financially and technically supporting this study.”

The first ever ZBE report showed that four key sectors – wildlife, bio – prospecting and bio-trade, fisheries and forestry sectors could contribute millions of dollars to the Zimbabwean economy by 2030 if a natural capital accounting framework is adopted.

In 2019 alone, total tourism receipts were around US$1,25 billion in 2019 while tourism accounted for 6,3 percent of GDP and 3,7 percent of national employment, according to the report. Sport hunting generated an average of US$29 000 per hunter and US$33 million in GDP, for the wildlife sub sector.

The fisheries sector which employed 3 500 people generated US$250 million over the same period.