Resumen de Political interventions in environmental resource use: Dambos in Zimbabwe
Morag Bell, Patricia Hotchkiss
By reference to dambo resource use, two apparently conflicting goals in rural Africa are addressed, namely, the need to improve crop production and to maintain environmental conservation. Dambos are small valley wetlands found on the plateau savannas of eastern and southern Africa. In Zimbabwe's communal lands, they are used for water supply, cattle grazing and garden cultivation. Contemporary dambo use forms part of an indigenous tradition which has developed despite restrictive environmental legislation introduced during colonial times. This article explores how the persistence of legal controls on dambo use shapes present government policy, the actions of government officials and the activities of rural households.
