ZimbabweAn Environmental Report Card

By Maizie SteeleApril 2015

Abstract

Goal: Learn about pollution, droughts, and lives of people in Zimbabwe

Research methods: Internet search and interview with a Zimbabwean citizen

Environmental report card grade: Poor.

Improvements needed to address: ● Failing water and sewer systems● Poor water and air quality● Famine caused by climate change and president Mugabe’s government● Poor mining practices that pollute the environment.

Environmental Report Cards

Questions Asked:

● Is there difficulty growing enough food for the people?● What is the quality of the water?● What is the quality of the air?● What is the condition of the infrastructure?● How do they handle waste and recycling?● Are there groups working to improve the environment?

IntroductionZimbabwe is a located in southern Africa. It borders the countries of Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, and Mozambique.

Environmental tourism is popular in some areas of Zimbabwe. Some beautiful places I found to visit were:

Victoria Falls Chinhoyi caves

Introduction

● An article in a Zimbabwean newspaper about extreme poverty says wealthy people live in luxury, while in many other areas, people live with raw sewage in the streets.

● Since president Mugabe evicted white farmers from Zimbabwe around 2000, many people have not had enough food to eat.

● The government is a parliamentary democracy. 68% of people in Zimbabwe are below the poverty line.

Environmental Indicators

● Zimbabwe’s most important natural resources are from mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, diamonds, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores).

● Poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution.

Environmental Indicators● The percentage of the population

with access to healthy drinking water is 83%.

● 20% of the population uses unimproved water sources for drinking.

● UNICEF says that 25% of the population has no bathroom facilities.

Environmental Indicators● Most electricity in Zimbabwe is generated by

burning coal, polluting the environment

● In Zimbabwe only 40% of the people have access to electricity.

● Many coal-fired electricity generating stations in Zimbabwe are in need of major upgrades, as currently they have frequent production stops, or are not producing at all.

● This has led to long lasting black outs.

Case Study #1Poverty in Zimbabwe and relation to Climate Change ● Lack of funding makes it difficult to deal with

disasters resulting from climate change.

● Government departments are supposed to predict and deal with climate related disasters (storms, floods and droughts).

● The departments want more money is because they have out of date equipment.

Case Study #1● The reason the government isn’t

providing more money is because the country suffers from extreme poverty.

● One possible solution to this is that Zimbabwe could ask for a loan from another, more wealthy country.

Case Study #2Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage ● Many of the endangered predator

species such as brown hyena and cheetah are destroyed by landowners who do not want their livestock threatened by the large predators.

● Chipangali offers scientists the ability to gather information about animals that they could not obtain in the wild.

Case Study #2● Here, scientists can study reproduction

and other behaviors and animal development.

● For example, Chipangali was asked to trap 5 cheetahs and take them or else they would be destroyed. Before the cheetahs were released at the orphanage, they put radio collars on them.

● This allowed Chipangali to track them when they were in the wild.

Big Decisions Ahead

It is important to find solutions to

these problems:

1. Food insecurity

2. Unsafe drinking water and

infrastructure3. Toxic mining

Priority Actions!

1. Food insecurity. People do not have enough to

eat. Farming production must be increased.

2. Water pollution. Only 83% of people in the

country have access to clean water.

3. Mining pollution. The mines are a source of toxic

waste and heavy metal contamination of the land

and the water.

More Research Is Needed

We should consult with different groups that are most impacted by the environmental issues in Zimbabwe, to help understand how we can best address the problems:

● Farmers

● Environmental departments and scientists in the government

● Environmental groups and activists

Researcher Profile

I’m in the fourth grade at Tamarac Elementary School. I play soccer for Brunswick and like to build with Legos. My favorite subject is science. In college I want to study architecture and engineering. After college I want to be an architectural engineer because I like designing and building.

Maizie Steele