Insights from the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Report

Webinar recording

In September 2023, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry released the country’s first report on its biodiversity economy. The aims of the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Report include describing the current status of Zimbabwe’s biodiversity economy and fostering investment in the responsible use of biodiversity. It sets out the importance of the biodiversity economy as follows:

The biodiversity economy encompasses the economic benefits derived from the sustainable use and/or conservation of indigenous species in their natural habitats. It includes business transactions related to wildlife, wild-capture fisheries, indigenous forestry, bioprospecting, wild-harvested non-timber products (“biotrade”) and the supply of ecosystem services. It delivers economic gains that are not recorded in GDP, including subsistence livelihood benefits, health benefits and ecological functions that underpin economic production or save costs in other sectors.