DEPARTMENT OF FOREST RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Zimbabwe is endowed with forest and wildlife resources that are economically and cultural important. Forests play a key role in the country’s economy as they provide many vital ecosystem goods including timber, fruits, fodder and medicine. In addition, they provide habitats for wildlife and other ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and storage, protection of water catchment areas and the prevention of soil erosion. Despite the key role forests play, we continue to lose them along with the endangered animals that live in them. In Zimbabwe and many tropical countries, forest cover is declining mainly due to agricultural expansion, wood harvesting and wildfires. Due to overexploitation of forest and wildlife resources, the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management is designed to train, skill and promote the next generation of forest and wildlife managers, conservationists, researchers, scholars, and wildlife law enforcement officials at the highest scientific level. The Department would like to join hands with individuals and organizations that are fighting to address the challenges of deforestation and forest degradation, biodiversity loss, climate crisis and non-native plant invasions.
MISSION
Our mission is to advance the science and management of forest and wildlife resources by developing solutions to problems affecting these resources; producing graduates that are knowledgeable and passionate about forestry and wildlife matters locally, regionally and internationally.
WHY STUDY WITH US
NUST is the perfect location for the study of the forest resources and wildlife management and its interactions with people, conservation and management. We are situated three hours’ drive from the vast Kalahari Teak forests, and Zimbabwe’s largest National Park and the world’s largest Trans-frontier conservation area – the Kavango Zambezi TFCA, KAZA.
- Our department has a wide range of expertise in forestry, wildlife ecology, conservation and natural resources management.
- Research submitted by the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management has been recognised both locally and at international level.
- The natural Kalahari Teak Forests and Hwange National Park are less than 4 hours drive away and they provide a 'living laboratory' for much of our teaching and research.
- Internationally recognized, the Hwange National Park contains a huge diversity of mammals and birds and has sites of Special Scientific Interest, including some which are of African significance.
- The department co-runs a geo-spatial station under the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA). The MESA wild fire station, which comprises a EUMETCast antenna and work stations for data acquisition and processing, run by the department provides near real time earth observation fire information for use in rangeland, forest, wildlife and agricultural land management.
RESEARCH
We conduct research that has national, regional, and international recognition with notable contributions to the field of Forest and Wildlife Management demonstrated by high-quality publications, honours theses, and higher degree dissertations including patents and copyrights. Research areas include, but not limited to:
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Wildlife Ecology and Management
- Protected Area and Wildlife Habitat Management
- Rangeland Ecology and Management
- Forest Entomology
- Avian Behaviour and Ecology
- Flora, Fauna, People and Conservation
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Forests and Global Change