Many African economies are built on an environmental foundation, so much so that the smallest of environmental threat or deviation from environmental health is a threat to the economy. I am sure we can all think of leaching of fertilizers and chemicals from agricultural fields into natural effluent systems (rivers, streams and dam) as an example. As taught in foundation environmental science, teaching only goes as far as mentioning the disruption of the natural ecosystems of aquatic life. Rarely does the teaching go as further as explaining the economic value of ecosystems to people and therefore the serious economic threat posed by pollution and eutrophication as basic examples.

In simpler terms, for a majority of African countries, economic prosperity for the majority is a direct and equal value of the health and integrity of the environment supporting that economic prosperity. With increasing environmental health and integrity comes an increase in economic growth and prosperity. The opposite is as truer. Zimbabwe is one of those counties in Africa that is not exceptional to this fact. Upon this backdrop, it is only logical that many environmental organizations be found in the country. It is as much logical also that organizations be found in the country whose sole purpose is to uphold and enforce environmental laws towards environmental integrity in the country a necessity that cannot be overlooked considering what would be at stake in the absence of environmental legality.

It is not possible in Zimbabwe to talk of environmental organizations and leave the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) out of the talk. This is the statutory organisation whose responsibility is to ensure that natural resources in the country are sustainably managed, the environment protected whilst preventing pollution and environmental degradation. All preparation of Environmental Plans for the management and protection of the environment is done by this body. EMA as is it is commonly referred to by the local people, was established under the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] and was enacted in the year 2002.

Whilst we are still on the talk of environmental organizations and those on legality, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) is another entity, little known to the majority of Zimbabwe yet one that is significant to development in Zimbabwe. Significant as illuminated in the work that it is identified with. It is a public interest environmental law group that was formed in the year 2000 and legitimately established as a Trust in November of 2001. That its work is in public interest, the non-governmental organisation is driven by the objectives of promoting environmental integrity, sustainable and fair use of natural resources, democracy and good governance in the natural resources and environment sector of the whole country.

A common denominator in both these organizations is that they employ diverse intervention strategies in their work including research, advocacy, conflict resolution, impact litigation, but what I find most significant above all these is environmental TRAINING and EDUCATION.