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.