Zimbabwe

National voluntary LDN targets (original language)

LDN at the national scale:
• Improve land cover of forest, wetlands, shrubs, grasslands and sparsely vegetated areas by 70% by 2030 compared to 2008.
• LDN achieved by 2030 compared to 2008 and an additional 10% (3 905 700 hectares) of the country’s total land area has been improved (net gain).

LDN at sub-national scale:
• LDN is achieved in the land degradation hotspots in Mhondoro, Chivi, Shamva, Hwange, Umzingwane, Chipinge and Zvishavane districts by 2030 as compared to 2008 (no net loss).
• LDN is achieved in the land degradation hotspot in Mhondoro, Chivi, Shamva, Hwange, Umzingwane, Chipinge and Zvishavane districts by 2030 as compared to 2008 and additional 15% of degraded hotspots districts has improved (net gain).

The specific LDN targets detailed below will be achieved by year 2030:
• Reforestation with local and exotic species on 6 455 250 hectares of forest converted to shrubs and on 215 050 hectares of forest converted to cropland.
• Avoid further decline of forest through economic incentives (rehabilitation) of 2 820 hectares of land showing early signs of decline and having a declining productivity.
• Improve sustainable land management practices to avoid soil and gully erosion, encourage and enforce appropriate stoking rates on 175 250 hectares of shrubs, grasslands and sparsely vegetated areas showing early signs of decline.
• Use conservation farming and agro-forestry practices to improve cropland productivity on 361 250 hectares of cropland showing stable but stressed productivity and early signs of decline.
• Embark on land/catchment reclamation/restoration on 5 580 hectares of grazing and cropland affected by gully erosion.
• Enforce laws and regulations, embark on awareness programmes targeting illegal miners and rehabilitate 3 798.60 hectares affected by illegal mining.
• Reduce the 8 857.92 hectares of land affected by alien species through chemical and mechanical control methods.
• Maintain and improve land productivity on 137 545 hectares of forests that are currently stable but stressed.
• Provide alternatives such as rural electrification, renewable energy sources, expand energy for tobacco programme, provide sustainable fencing materials for fencing arable lands and for brick burning , enforce regulations on tree cutting for fuel wood sale and reduce deforestation to protect 297 000 hectares of forest land.
• Enforce construction of conservation works, encourage conservation agriculture and build capacity for farmers to improve 1 083 825 hectares of degraded arable lands
• Improve sustainable land management systems in order to maintain the current soil organic carbon level beyond 2045, forest at 42.3 tons/ha, shrubs, grasslands and sparsely vegetated areas at 38.6 tons/ha, cropland at 38.9 tons/ha and wetlands at 52,2 tons/ha
• Improve wetland management and restoration of 270 080 hectares of the country’s severely degraded wetlands.