Zim working on biodiversity

ZIMBABWE is taking concrete action to review and further integrate bio-diversity considerations in the development and implementation of the three Rio Conventions and national sustainable development through the ecosystem approach to biodiversity conservation, Minister of Environment and Tourism Cde Francis Nhema has said.

He was speaking in Curitiba, Brazil at the 8th Conference of Parties for the Convention of Biological Diversity. He said Zimbabwe had learnt that local communities often conserved valuable biological resources and not the outsiders. "More often than not, local communities have their own methods of conserving biodiversity. Organising communities through their traditional leaders is often effective in conserving biodiversity," said Cde Nhema...

"On agro-biodiversity, my Government is promoting the conservation and sustainable utilisation of plant generic resources for food and agriculture in the country. "My country is promoting the revival of the 'Zunde RaMambo' (Chief's Silo) concept in recognising the role of traditional leaders in grain storage schemes. Cde Nhema said the concept was also being extended to tree planting programmes to recognise traditional leaders in tree planting and maintenance of biodiversity. Legislation, he said, played a key role in Zimbabwe in mainstreaming the goals of the strategic plan of the convention and a number of key steps had been taken to implement the objectives of the convention....