Environmental and socio-economic of cement production: a case of Manresa community, Harare, Zimbabwe · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author: Kanyoka, Leoford
Title: Environmental and socio-economic of cement production: a case of Manresa community, Harare, Zimbabwe
Abstract: Cement production has become an important industry worldwide, due to increasing demands for infrastructural development. However, environmental and socio-economic impacts of cement production on nearby communities have raised concerns worldwide. A study was done to assess environmental and socio-economic impacts of cement production at Lafarge in Manresa community of Harare, Zimbabwe. Data was collected using questionnaires, key-informant interviews and field observations. Results showed that, cement production at Lafarge had a variety of environmental and socio-economic effects to land use change (40%), and the reduction in air and water quality (20%). These cement production processes also affected the health and well-being of Manresa community. Socio-economic challenges included health issues, cultural interference and land use conflicts. On the other hand, the cement production process created jobs, improved health service provision and infrastructural development. There are a variety of measures taken to curb the destruction of environment in the surrounding community and these include rules and regulation to facilitate sustainable utilization of resources and business operation, working with environmental organizations such as Environmental Management Agency which help in protecting the environment, maintenance of equipment, monitoring and auditing and educating employees on safe operations. However, lack of funds to implement long term measures hinders the progress to meet the targets. There is a need for strategic policy interventions, collaboration between industries and stakeholders and implementation of long-term sustainable strategies to mitigate the negative effects while enhancing positive impact.
Date: May 2023
Publisher: BUSE
Keywords: Cement production; Lafarge Manresa community
Supervisor: Dr L. Mujuru

Item sets: Department of Natural Resources

Media: Kanyoka - NRM.pdf