Wildlife management in Zimbabwe: evidence from a contingent valuation study

If communities living adjacent to the elephant see it as a burden, then they cannot be its stewards. To assess their valuation of it, a contingent valuation method study was conducted for one CAMPFIRE district in Zimbabwe. Respondents were classified according to their preferences over the elephant. The median willingness to pay for the preservation of 200 elephants is ZW$260 (US$4.73) for respondents who considered the elephant a public good and ZW$137 (US$2.49) for those favouring its translocation. The preservation of 200 elephants yields an annual net worth of ZW$10,828 (US$196) to CAMPFIRE households. However, the majority of households (62%) do not support elephant preservation. This is one argument against devolution of elephant conservation. External transfers constitute one way of providing additional economic incentives to local communities

Genetic trends in the Zimbabwe’s national maize breeding program over two decades

Monitoring genetic gains within breeding programs is a critical component for continuous improvement. While several national breeding programs in Africa have assessed genetic gain using era studies, this study is the first to use two decades of historical data to estimate genetic trends within a national breeding program. The objective of this study was to assess genetic trends within the final two stages of Zimbabwe’s Department of Research & Specialist Services maize breeding pipeline between 2002 and 2021. Data from 107 intermediate and 162 advanced variety trials, comprising of 716 and 398 entries, respectively, was analyzed. Trials were conducted under optimal, managed drought stress, low nitrogen stress, low pH, random stress, and disease pressure (maize streak virus (MSV), grey leaf spot (GLS), and turcicum leaf blight under artificial inoculation. There were positive and significant genetic gains for grain yield across management conditions (28–35 kg ha-1 yr-1), under high-yield potential environments (17–61 kg ha-1 yr-1), and under low-yield potential environments (0–16 kg ha-1 yr-1). No significant changes were observed in plant and ear height over the study period. Stalk and root lodging, as well as susceptibility to MSV and GLS, significantly decreased over the study period. New breeding technologies need to be incorporated into the program to further increase the rate of genetic gain in the maize breeding programs and to effectively meet future needs

A cost-effectiveness analysis of options for reducing pollution in Khayelitsha township, South Africa

Average levels of PM10 pollutants in Khayelitsha, a poor informal settlement nears Cape Town, are unusually high. The contributory factors are the burning of household waste, wood and used tyres; vehicular emissions; and dust. This paper gives guidance towards selecting interventions for reducing these pollutants. The options include planting windbreak trees; paving roads and walkways; using cleaner sources of energy; and supplying additional refuse skips. Based on cost data collected from relevant municipal departments and service providers, over a 20-year planning horizon, the following are cost equivalents: planting between 419 and 936 windbreak trees; paving 6 685m2 of exposed areas; replacing between 451 and 870 wood-fired meat traders’ braai (i.e. barbecue) sets with gas braais; and providing a 6m3 refuse skip. On the basis of cost-effectiveness in reducing PM10 pollutants, this paper ranks the interventions as follows: (1) providing gas braai sets; (2) planting windbreak trees; (3) paving exposed areas; and (4) providing the refuse skip. Thus, providing gas braai sets to the meat traders in Khayelitsha will significantly reduce PM10 levels, but will also contribute to the sustained livelihoods of some of the poor households. However, planting windbreak trees may nevertheless be undertaken because of this option’s linkage to climate change initiatives, which open up a wide range of potential funding opportunities.https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v6i2.26

A cost-effectiveness analysis of options for reducing pollution in Khayelitsha township, South Africa

Average levels of PM10 pollutants in Khayelitsha, a poor informal settlement nears Cape Town, are unusually high. The contributory factors are the burning of household waste, wood and used tyres; vehicular emissions; and dust. This paper gives guidance towards selecting interventions for reducing these pollutants. The options include planting windbreak trees; paving roads and walkways; using cleaner sources of energy; and supplying additional refuse skips . Based on cos t data col lected from relevant municipal departments and service providers, over a 20-year planning horizon, the following are cost equivalents: planting between 419 and 936 windbreak trees; paving 6 685m2 of exposed areas ; replacing between 451 and 870 wood-fired meat traders’ braai (i.e. barbecue) sets with gas braais; and providing a 6m3 refuse skip. On the basis of cost-effectiveness in reducing PM10 pollutants, this paper ranks the interventions as follows: (1) providing gas braai sets; (2) planting windbreak trees; (3) paving exposed areas; and (4) providing the refuse skip. Thus, providing gas braai sets to the meat traders in Khayelitsha will significantly reduce PM10 levels, but will also contribute to the sustained livelihoods of some of the poor households. However, planting windbreak trees may nevertheless be undertaken because of this option’s linkage to climate change initiatives, which open up a wide range of potential funding opportunities. Keywords:air pollution, cost-effectiveness, Khayelitsha, PM1 0 , pollution control Disciplines:Economics, Environmental  studies, energy studie