Hydroponics and the Environment
Hydroponics is the growth of plants in other media which are not soil. This could be fluids that have minerals and essential plant nutrients. Agricultural benefits of hydroponics include the fact that it allows crop growth in small space, thereby achieving intensification of agriculture and…
The population crisis worsens environmental threats
The increase in human population is putting an unprecedented pressure on the available natural resources. The population boom has led to an increased demand for food and space as consumption and habitation are now priorities. Vast tracts of state land, oceans and forests have become…
Pesticides and Environmental Effects
The global consumption of pesticides has been on an exponential rise due to the high demand for food production. With the world population being at a current 7 billion people, an additional 2 billion will be added by 2030 to make the world a 9…
Wasps as indicators of ecological territory – The Zimbabwean experience
Insects such as bees and hornets are not welcome to many human beings occupied spaces. In that category there are wasps. Wasps are mainly known for causing discomfort but they are essential to the environment as part of biodiversity. In some regions people find it…
Deforestation, a threat to biodiversity and viable Mopane worm business
Rufaro Mahaka travels from Kwekwe to Gwanda, a distance of 316 kilometres in one direction every year to harvest mopane worms. She has been doing this for the past 15 years and has been making a living which has seen her children going up to…
Eco- Friendly Funerals – The Readiness of Zimbabwe for Green Burials
In the deep forests of Chitete, a village in Nyaminyami, Kariba, at a crowded homestead 6 pall bearers carry the body of the deceased on freshly cut logs from a Msasa tree, wrapped in a cotton blanket as they lead mourners to a village graveyard….
Impacts of Deforestation on Livelihoods
A new born baby has to draw its first breath to survive, a grandmother in the village needs herbs to make medicine to boost her grandchild’s health and to be able to do this there need to be an adequate supply of oxygen, plants and…
Guerrilla Farming – Pros and Cons
According to the United Nations, by 2050, two-thirds of all humanity, that is close to 6.5 billion people, will be living in urban set ups. Cities in developing countries including Zimbabwe are recording high levels of rural to urban migration as people look for employment,…
Wildlife Feature: Southern Ground-Hornbill
Bucorvus Leadbeateri Southern Ground-Hornbill (English Name) DENDERA (Shona name) The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Southern Ground Hornbill as vulnerable to extinction. Their distribution range has hugely decreased recently, due to persecution and habitat alteration through extensive farming, pollution, deforestation as…
Indigenous knowledge systems and the environment
The word ‘indigenous’ can be traced back to French (indigène) and Latin (indigena). In both languages, the word means ‘sprung from the land’, a native or literally ‘in-born’. Thus, it can be comprehended that indigenous knowledge refers to the way of knowing and application of…
