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 envi-
ronment. 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 sustain-
ability 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.
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