Amidst the socio-economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, increased illegal mining activities on recently discovereddiamond and gold deposits have given local people a source of livelihood. The problem of illegal gold mining isfast spreading through the Eastern Highlands and other parts of the country, as hundreds of artisanal gold minersswarm to the area, tearing up natural forests and plantations. Illegal mining operations are now rampant in theChimanimani Mountains, a narrow belt located on the eastern Zimbabwean/western Mozambican border. The hillyand generally inaccessible nature of these mountains has preserved much of the native flora and fauna, includingsome endemic or near endemic animals and plants, 1 and thus they are an important habitat. The highlands arealso a crucial international catchment and a major water source for thousands of families dependent on agricultureand fishing for their livelihoods. However, with an estimated 400 000 miners now operating illegally in Zimbabwe, 2the cumulative mining activities represent a major threat to people’s livelihood security and to the integrity of thiscrucial catchment, habitat and associated river systems.
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