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Access status: Open Access ,
Urbanization-driven land use change and its impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Harare, Zimbabwe (2013-2025)
(BUSE, 2026-06) Njani, Pride Tanaka
Urbanization has emerged as a major driver of land use and cover change in many African cities resulting in environmental issues. The study investigated the effects of urbanization driven land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Harare between 2013 and 2025. This study aimed at analyzing spatio-temporal land use changes, assess their implications for biodiversity and evaluate the resulting impacts on selected ecosystem services. Landsat imagery was processed and classified using supervised classification techniques in QGIS version 3.4.4.1 whilst landscape patterns were analyzed using FRAGSTATS. The findings reveal transformation of Harare’s landscape over the study period. Vegetation cover fell from 767.9 km2 to 214 km2 which is a loss of 72.1% whilst water bodies fell by 10.3%. Bare land increased by 129.3% showing extensive land clearing associated with urban development. Spatial analysis reveals that urban growth occurs predominantly along major transport corridors and peri urban zones therefore resulting in increasing habitat fragmentation and loss of ecological connectivity. Reduction of vegetated land has important implications for biodiversity conservation. Habitat destruction and fragmentation have diminished the capacity of urban ecosystems to support diverse plant and animal communities especially species reliant on wetlands and natural vegetation. Land use change was further established in this study by adversely affecting ecosystem functioning through the degradation of key ecosystem services. Conversion of natural landscapes into impervious surfaces has reduced flood regulation capacity and contributed to environmental degradation within the city. The study concludes that rapid urban expansion is reshaping Harare’s ecological landscape at un unprecedented rate with significant consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. Urban planning strategies should prioritize the protection of wetlands, preservation of remaining green spaces and integration of ecological considerations into land use decision making so as to promote environmental resilience. The findings provide valuable evidence for policy makers, environmental managers and urban planners seeking to balance development needs with long term ecological sustainability in Harare.
Access status: Open Access ,
Assessing the socio-economic and environmental impacts of veldfires on small-scale farmers in ward 4 of Matepatepa Bindura Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe
(BUSE, 2026-06) Mutsai, Caroline P.
Veldfires threaten small-scale farmers in rural Zimbabwe, yet their impacts remain poorly documented. This study examined the causes of veldfires, their effects on farmer livelihoods and the environment and the effectiveness of fire management strategies in Ward 4 of Matepatepa, Bindura District, Zimbabwe. A mixed-methods approach was used, collecting data from 60 farmers through questionnaires, interviews and direct observation. Quantitative data were analysed using Microsoft Excel, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Residue burning was the primary cause of veldfires (26.8%), followed by lightning (23.2%), land clearing (17.9%), honey harvesting (16.5%) and hunting (10.7%). The most severe economic impacts were livestock losses (29.6%), fence damage (27.8%), and crop loss (25.9%). Environmental impacts included soil fertility loss (27.6%), vegetation loss (20.5%)and loss of grazing land and wildlife (19.0%). Fire prevention strategies were rated as ineffective by (48.3%) of respondents, primarily due to inadequate resources and limited community participation. The study concludes that veldfires remain a major threat to sustainable livelihoods in Matepatepa. There is need for strengthening community awareness, improving enforcement of veldfires regulations and promoting community participation in fire prevention planning.
Access status: Open Access ,
Assessing the effectiveness of Esia stakeholder engagement among small scale gold miners in Bindura district
(BUSE, 2026-06) Chiruka, Shulamoth K
This study examined the effectiveness of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) stakeholder engagement among small-scale gold miners in the Bindura District of Zimbabwe. It was guided by three objectives that is, assessing current engagement practices, identifying impeding challenges and evaluating impacts on environmental and social outcomes. Underpinned by stakeholder theory the study adopted a concurrent mixed-methods design. The quantitative data were collected from 293 small-scale miners via structured questionnaires. Results were analysed using SPSS Version 25.0 while qualitative data from seven key informant interviews were analysed thematically. Study findings revealed that current stakeholder engagement practices are largely procedural and tokenistic, characterised by infrequent consultations, limited information sharing, and minimal incorporation of feedback into ESIA reports (overall mean = 2.54/5.00). Key challenges were lack of awareness about ESIA procedures (M=4.27), technical complexity (M=4.18), limited financial resources (M=4.12), institutional mistrust (M=3.96), and political interference (M=3.71). The impact of engagement on environmental and social outcomes was modest with overall mean of 3.22/5.00 with notably low scores for reduction of environmental degradation (M=2.84) and addressing water pollution concerns (M=2.69). Qualitative findings reveals engagement as compliance-driven, shaped by power asymmetries and a systemic disconnect between engagement commitments and enforcement. The study concluded that ESIA stakeholder engagement in Bindura District falls significantly short of Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Act [Cap 20:27] and EMA ESIA guidelines. Recommendations directed the Environmental Management Agency, Ministry of Mines, local authorities, traditional leaders, mining associations, and NGOs, to address legislative reform, institutional restructuring, capacity building, and the development of more inclusive and culturally appropriate engagement mechanisms.
Access status: Open Access ,
Temporal spatial distribution of wildlife mortalities in Zambezi and Victoria Falls national parks for the period 2015 – 2025
(BUSE, 2026-06) Simakani, Philliper
This study investigated the patterns and drivers of wildlife mortalities in Zambezi National Park from 2015 to 2025. Using a census approach and field survey design, carcass records, patrol logs and surveillance data from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust was analyzed to identify mortality drivers, temporal and spatial patterns. The results showed that wildlife had been impacted by ecological factors throughout the landscape (2020-2025). Mortality detection was also reduced during the COVID 19 were initially concentrated along the Zambezi River corridor (2015-2017) but later became stressors such as drought and water scarcity as well as human-related pressures including encroachment and livestock interactions. Kernel Density estimation revealed that mortalities pandemic due to reduced patrol activity. The study concludes that wildlife is increasingly vulnerable to climate variability and human activity and recommends adaptive patrols, sustainablefunding and community engagement.
Access status: Open Access ,
Predicting the impacts of climate change on the ecological niche of Uapaca Kirkiana (Müll. Arg.) in Southern Africa
(BUSE, 2026-06) Nyaguse, Tinotenda Tecla
Climate change poses a growing threat to the ecological niches of indigenous tree species across southern Africa, with significant implications for biodiversity, ecosystem function, and rural livelihoods. Uapaca kirkiana Müll. Arg. (mahobohobo/wild loquat) is a keystone indigenous fruit tree of the Miombo woodland ecosystem, providing critical food security, income, and medicinal value to millions of rural communities in Zimbabwe and across south-central Africa. Despite its ecological and socio-economic importance, quantitative, spatially explicit assessments of how climate change will affect the distribution of U. kirkiana in southern Africa particularly Zimbabwe remain limited. This study applied the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution modelling algorithm, implemented through the Wallace platform in R, to: (i) determine the key environmental variables driving the current potential distribution of U. kirkiana in southern Africa; (ii) project the impacts of climate change on its habitat suitability at 2070 and 2100 under SSP climate forcing scenarios; and (iii) identify conservation and management implications for Zimbabwe. Georeferenced occurrence records (n = 362) were sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and subjected to spatial thinning at 75 km. Nineteen bioclimatic variables from WorldClim v2.1 were used as environmental predictors. The optimal MaxEnt model (fc.H_rm.1) achieved excellent predictive performance, with a training Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.899 and a Continuous Boyce Index (CBI) of 0.969. Annual precipitation (BIO12), minimum temperature of the coldest month (BIO6), and precipitation seasonality (BIO15) were identified as the principal environmental drivers of the species' current distribution. Current suitable habitat was concentrated across the Miombo woodland belt spanning Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Angola. Future projections revealed a progressive and accelerating southward shift in suitable habitat by 2070 and 2100, with substantial new suitable areas emerging in South Africa's interior highlands alongside some habitat loss in northern lowland areas of the current distribution. These findings highlight the urgency of protecting highland refugia in Zimbabwe, integrating U. kirkiana into national climate adaptation strategies, and investing in domestication and agroforestry programmes to safeguard the species' ecological and socio-economic contributions under a changing climate.