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Own Correspondent
Birdlife Zimbabwe in partnership with the Environmental Management Agency and the Zimbabwe Wetlands Trust hosted an all-stakeholders meeting on June 24, 2025, to explore ecotourism and recreation activities in Harare.
Other stakeholders who attended the meeting included the City of Harare, the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, civil society organizations, and community-based organizations working on environmental protection as well as private developers.
Participants at the workshop concurred that there are various opportunities associated with ecotourism while emphasizing the need for the projects to prioritize environmental protection and sustainability including wetlands protection- which ultimately ensures access to water for the residents of Harare.
During the meeting, stakeholders had the opportunity to discuss the proposed Kirkman/Sherwood Ecotourism project and its perceived benefits for the residents of Harare. The project has put in place measures to promote environmental sustainability including access to water through wetlands protection.
Below are the recommendations from the meeting:
– Ecotourism projects have the potential and capacity to promote environmental sustainability and contribute to sustainable development while creating employment opportunities
- It is critical that ecotourism projects; in their design, prioritise environmental protection
- Stakeholder engagement and abiding by the legal and regulatory frameworks on environmental protection is critical
- Ecotourism projects must be anchored on wetlands protection and restoration, and
- Continuous engagement and monitoring are crucial to ensure sustainable use of the environment.
