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Rehabilitation
of the Mukuvisi River
Environment
Africa
Extracted from Cleveland Newsletter: Issue No. 4
February
2004
Harare perennially
faces water supply problems, in terms of both quantity and quality.
The city sits on its own catchment area and rivers such as the highly
polluted Mukuvisi drain into Lake Chivero - the source of our drinking
water! Major pollutants in the river are mainly from the city's
sewage systems, stormwater runoff and industrial effluent, whilst
streambank cultivation results in soil erosion, riverbank instability
and chemical water pollution due to fertiliser usage.
In parts, the
Mukuvisi's natural system has been negatively modified and the river's
capacity to purify itself naturally has been seriously affected.
Excessive resource use has led to the establishment of alien plant
species with a corresponding decrease in biodiversity.
The condition
of open spaces adjacent to densely populated areas is rapidly deteriorating
and legal and illegal dumping of rubbish occurs along the riverbank.
The overall result is that the river now comprises unattractive
wasteland habitat of extremely low value to society.
The public has
strong negative perceptions of the river and consequently it has
little recreational use. This situation presents a stark contrast
to the attractive river that many local residents remember from
days gone by.
The good news
is that Environment Africa plans to introduce new systems of water
management whereby the interests of everyone and the needs of the
environment are addressed. Catchment management by definition requires
an integrated, holistic approach.
The natural
system formed by a river catchment, the socio-economic systems within
a catchment and the measures implemented to develop a system; these
are the three fundamentals of a progressive new WATER AFRICA project
being spearheaded by Environment Africa. A funding proposal document
for this groundbreaking project has been completed and it is currently
being considered by a potential funder. We will keep you updated
on the rehabilitation of the Mukuvisi River.
Visit the Environment
Africa fact sheet
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