Zimbabwe’s national parks authority has objected to a coal mining project near Hwange National Park over its threat to the endangered black rhino population. ZimParks warns the project endangers conservation efforts and calls for cancellation. Critics emphasize ecological risks, including threats to water sources vital for wildlife. The government had previously pledged to ban mining in nature reserves after similar controversies.
Zimbabwe’s national parks authority has publicly condemned a proposed coal mining project in Hwange National Park due to its potential danger to the endangered black rhino population. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) expressed serious concerns over the mining initiative planned adjacent to the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone, requesting the Ministry of Mines to cancel the project to safeguard these vulnerable animals.
ZimParks aims to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by the year 2030 and warns that mining operations in the vicinity would significantly increase the extinction risk for black rhinos, thus undermining ongoing conservation efforts. The project, associated with the Chinese firm Sunny Yi Feng, seeks to explore coal over a vast area of 16,000 hectares, located merely eight kilometers from the vital rhino protection zone.
Critics of the initiative are concerned that mining activities would disrupt crucial ecological conditions necessary for wildlife survival, particularly threatening groundwater sources that are essential for Hwange’s elephants, which constitute the second-largest population in Africa. Notably, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified black rhinos as endangered, with roughly 6,400 individuals remaining worldwide as of September 2022. Unfortunately, their population saw a decrease of 1% in the previous year, primarily due to poaching.
The Zimbabwean government had made prior commitments to prohibit mining in nature reserves following a similar backlash from stakeholders involving another Chinese entity, Tongmao Coal, in 2020. Conservation advocates are now calling on authorities to honor this pledge to protect the nation’s wildlife and preserve biodiversity in the face of industrial encroachment.
In summary, the Zimbabwean authorities have taken a strong stance against the proposed coal mining project that threatens the endangered black rhino population in Hwange National Park. The concerns raised by ZimParks highlight the critical need for preserving ecological integrity and wildlife conservation. Given the government’s previous commitments to protect nature reserves, there is an urgent call for adherence to those promises to ensure the survival of the black rhino and other wildlife in the region.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
