Faith Charumbira – The Climate Action Coalition of Zimbabwe (CACZ) has raised alarm over escalating land degradation caused by unregulated mining activities in Masvingo and Manicaland provinces, warning that the environmental damage is now directly worsening the impacts of climate change in these regions. In communities across Mashava, Bikita, Chiredzi, Chimanimani, and Mutasa, mining operations have left deep scars on the landscape, stripping vegetation, polluting rivers, and destabilising fragile ecosystems. Vast tracts of land once used for agriculture are now punctured by open pits, mine waste, and eroded soils, threatening both food production and local livelihoods.

Field assessments by CACZ member organisations, which include the Youth Empowerment and Skills Development Association and the Green Institute, reveal that artisanal and small-scale mining has become a major driver of deforestation, soil erosion, and river siltation—environmental changes that heighten climate risks. Without tree cover, soils dry out faster under rising temperatures, reducing moisture retention and accelerating the loss of arable land. River systems, particularly in Manicaland’s mineral‑rich zones, have become clogged with sediment and contaminated with chemicals, undermining water security for surrounding communities. These degraded landscapes are now less capable of absorbing heavy rainfall, increasing the frequency of flash floods while simultaneously reducing groundwater recharge during drought years.

The coalition notes that climate change is already intensifying in both provinces, with rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and erratic rainfall making local communities more vulnerable than ever. Mining‑related land degradation compounds these stresses by further weakening natural buffers that help regulate climate impacts. In Masvingo, gully formation and rapid soil loss are accelerating due to mining disturbances, leaving farmers with shrinking fields and declining crop yields. In Manicaland, the destruction of riverbanks and wetlands has reduced the resilience of watershed ecosystems, increasing the likelihood of both drought and damaging runoff during storms.

CACZ is calling for urgent intervention to halt further degradation and strengthen climate resilience in mining‑affected communities. The coalition urges government agencies, traditional leaders, and mining stakeholders to enforce environmental safeguards, rehabilitate damaged sites, and support climate‑smart land restoration programmes. By restoring degraded landscapes, protecting water sources, and promoting sustainable mining practices, Zimbabwe can begin to rebuild the ecological stability that communities in Masvingo and Manicaland urgently need in the face of a changing climate.

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