Managing Waste in the Wildlife Areas of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
- Nature Conservation
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Biodiversity
- Community Action
- Women
- Rivers & Streams
- Land Habitats
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Sub-Equatorial Afrotropics
- Afrotropics Realm
| Bioregion | Greater African Subequatorial Savannas & Mixed Woodlands (AT11) |
| Category | Nature Conservation Our project categories represent one of three core solutions pathways to solving climate change. Energy Transition focuses on renewable energy access and energy efficiency. Nature Conservation includes wildlife habitat protection and ecosystem restoration, as well as Indigenous land rights. Regenerative Agriculture supports farmers, ranchers, and community agriculture. |
| Realm | Afrotropics The Project Marketplace is organized by the major terrestrial realms divided into 14 biogeographical regions – N. America, Subarctic America, C. America, S. America, Afrotropics, Indomalaya, Australasia, Oceania, Antarctica, and the Palearctic realm, which coincides with Eurasia and is divided into Subarctic, Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions. |
| Status | active Seed indicates an early stage project that needs some level of support to develop into a larger funding proposal. Active indicates any project that needs core programmatic funding. Urgent indicates a short-term project initiated in response to a natural disaster or other impending risk. |
| Partner | My Trees Trust |
The One Earth Project Marketplace funds on-the-ground climate solutions that are key to solving the climate crisis through three pillars of collective action — renewable energy, nature conservation, and regenerative agriculture. This project protects and preserves biodiversity through community-led recycling.
Imagine living in a community surrounded by trash. This is the reality for residents of rural Gache-Gache in Zimbabwe, near Lake Kariba, where no centralized waste management system exists.
Wildlife in the area, including elephants, buffalo, hippos, and hyenas, unintentionally consume the trash, while smaller mammals and birds become entangled. It's a heart-wrenching sight, and immediate action is necessary to protect biodiversity and restore the land and water quality.
Image credit: Courtesy of My Trees Trust
Cleaning up to protect wildlife
My Trees is launching an urgent waste management project to tackle this issue. A local team, led by women, will be employed to collect, sort, and transport the trash to the nearest recycling facility.
Your support for this project will help minimize the detrimental impact on marine and wildlife caused by human-generated waste. It will also provide community members with sustainable and eco-friendly employment opportunities.
Image credit: Courtesy of My Trees Trust
Enhancing community well-being
Under the leadership of Rob Davy, My Trees' community liaison manager with 15 years of experience, the benefits of these employment opportunities will extend beyond the employees. The stable incomes will ultimately improve nutrition and enable community members to afford school fees. Additionally, the project will enhance the well-being of the local village, home to 4,000 inhabitants, by creating a cleaner and tidier environment.
Furthermore, this project aligns with My Trees' broader objective of helping the community protect its surrounding ecosystem. The organization plans to lease protected wildlife areas for the next 17 years, aiming to improve human-wildlife conflict resolution, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods for Lake Kariba residents.
Image credit: Courtesy of My Trees Trust
My Trees' positive impact in Zimbabwe
My Trees has grown considerably since inception and now has capacity to plant 500,000 native trees annually through its 32 nurseries in Zimbabwe. The organization is also protecting 120,000 hectares of threatened wilderness and has distributed 50,000 fuel-efficient rocket stoves to households in need across the nation.
Image credit: Courtesy of My Trees Trust
Bringing people and nature together
This waste management project not only provides a short-term solution for the challenges in Gache-Gache but also promotes the responsible stewardship of natural habitats and strengthens the resilience of rural African communities. It's a solution that fosters the harmonious coexistence of nature and people while ensuring the cleanliness of our shared environment.