The Global South is currently a centre stage to a massive standoff, one which is consequential in humanity’s quest to preserve the planet through ecological conservation. The tension between human socio-economic development and environmental protection has become more visible, with detrimental effects that causes tussles between two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With SDG 11 centred on the need for human development and SDG 15 on the need to protect ecology, there exists a clash when there is a planning controversy driven by planning conflict. The conflict arises primarily due to the nature of compromise required to simultaneously achieve these goals, with external political factors coming in to either overlook or bully one for the advancement of the other.
Zimbabwe’s urban scene is one such stage which brings perspective into how this conflict plays out. With housing projects on the rise due to rapid urbanisation, wetland areas, once considered ‘untouchable’ due to their rich diverse ecosystems and their functionality in climate regulation, have come under threat from projected human infrastructure development. Absent respect towards the framework governing the protection of ecological land space, the country’s development arch has been governed by the political tone at any particular given time. This places ecological preservation at a very vulnerable position as it now falls secondary to external forces, hence the genesis of the conflict. This conflict is evident in Zimbabwe’s capital city’s developmental paradox. Harare’s local authorities have increasingly come under pressure to provide for housing to the growing populace, a call which has sometimes led to the violation of environmental laws. This begs for a deeply necessary question; whose interests do we serve, the politically driven development or environmental protection? This tear in the fabric of two worthwhile sustainable development goals haunts Harare’s urban planning, particularly the struggle between wetland preservation and infrastructure development.
Political Ecology and Harare’s urban planning landscape
Political ecology is a framework that interrogates how power relations, economic interests and social dynamics affect ecological preservation. The framework gives perspective into how environmental conservation falls secondary to the dynamics of human interests. The framework asks uncomfortable questions related to green issues : Who controls the land? Who benefits from development? Who bears the cost of environmental degradation.
In Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, these questions are given a breath of life from theoretical precepts. Political patronage within the city has many a time undermined professional land use and planning, resulting in a boiling crisis in as far as environmental protection is concerned. There has been a rise in powerful individuals and groupings who act illegally in parcelling out land within the city for both economic and political profit. The groupings, commonly referred to as ‘land barons’, are usually politically connected and thus act in an authoritative manner that undermines the role of the Local Authority within the urban space. Land preserved for environmental protection has come under threat from these groupings. The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has been rendered powerless as political pressures to deliver housing and employment to the growing populace is viewed as more important. National vision blueprints such as the National Development Strategy (NSD1) rightly emphasises the need for economic and infrastructural growth. This has however been weaponised by certain sections to overlook environmental laws and guidelines. Political ecology then sheds light into Harare’s environmental challenges. It helps with a wider perspective of seeing how local authority land use planning sometimes falls victim to political machinations. Sustainability is thus unachievable without confronting political decisions that govern urban land use.
Harare’s wetland struggle
Wetlands in Harare account for approximately 21% of the entire city’s land area. These are of extreme importance as they provide functional use to the city which includes water supply and filtration, flood mitigation, biodiversity habitant, climate regulation etc. The capital once lay atop lush wetlands like Monavale, Borrowdale vlei and Gosden wetland in Mabvuku Tafara. Currently, many of these have suffered encroachment by housing development, commercial parks or unregulated settlements. One such landmark case occurred in 2013, when the Long Cheng commercial plaza was constructed on a wetland. The issue was subject to a lot of scrutiny. There was a widespread remark popularised in public discourse by political elites who favoured the development, ‘frogs and lizards cannot hinder commercial development’, thereby directly undermining the status of the gazetted wetland, leading to continued construction without environmental regard.
Land developers argue that the city is desperately in need of housing and employment opportunities for its rapidly growing population. Environmental groups on the other hand echoes how the destruction of wetlands undermines the environmental functions they provide for the city. Currently, another fight is brewing with the illegal housing development of another gazetted wetland, Gosden in the suburb of Tafara. Despite the country reiterating the need to conserve ecology, and having established laws that protect gazetted wetlands. Implementation of these laws is now being overshadowed by economic interests and political will. There now exists a conflict triangle between developers, environmentalists with the municipal authorities caught inbetween. Sustainability thus becomes rhetoric, with enforcement of laws bordering on where political will favors. This mirrors a broader issue of how environmental protection follows the patterns of political lines than planning proficiency.
Zimbabwe was recently host to the Ramsar COP 15 Wetlands Conference in July 2025. The ceremonial commitment however falls shy when comparisons are made to the country’s dedication on the grounds of actually protecting wetlands. Urban expansion has resulted in the degradation of 49% of Harare’s wetlands. This underlines the extent to which the conflict between development and conservation goes.
In theory, the country is well furnished with legislation that aims to protect and uphold the integrity of the environment. These laws like the Environmental Management Act are crafted to enforce ecological protection in line with regional and global efforts, with a full embrace of sustainable development goals. Implementation however falls short as urban planning authorities who are responsible for upholding the laws are at the mercy of political pressure to accommodate housing demand and investor goals. Faced with this paradox, where the two mandates are in conflict, environmental considerations are thus usually placed secondary within the order of importance. Another issue grappling the urban local authorities is reactionary development control. With land barons illegally parceling out land for housing development, Harare’s planners now play an oversight role of development regulation after the development has already occurred at the expense of environmental protection. This significantly compromises development in a sustainably regulated framework, and sets a backward course against achieving sustainable development.
With that in mind, there is a greater need of reimagining development planning in the practical sense. Recognition of how environmental protection is not opposed to human development is key. Fostering understanding within relevant authorities as to how these two goals complement one another for overall human well being is critical. Integration of environmental protection in human development within the city needs to be more than rhetoric, rather conjoined forces that move with one accord and purpose. This course of action is only possible through institutional reform that can successfully limit the level of political interference. With some autonomy, local authorities can be entrusted through institutional collaboration to strengthen coordination of the two goals within its planning framework.
The struggle in Zimbabwe to balance sustainability and human development is not unique, but aids in mirroring the conflicting struggles that exist in the balancing process. It is thus critical to underline the political realities that govern implementation of these two goals. There is a great need to formulate adequate frameworks that harmonise the two goals, away from the jaws of political influence. The interdisciplinary nature of urban planners is the intersecting point where this framework can be conceptualised, transforming conflict into collaboration. As Zimbabwe builds its future cities, environmental protection and ecological integrity is very critical to fully breathe to life the term Sustainable Development.
