Abstract—The extraction of valuable geological materials
from the earth's crust, mining, is considered a major driver of
economic growth across the globe. However, mining operations
are associated with environmental problems worldwide. Mining
makes a significant contribution to Southern African economic
development; however, its environmental impacts offset the
benefits. Due to mining's dominance as an economic driver in
Zimbabwe, its effects on environmental sustainability are
overlooked and inadequately addressed. This research fills the
gap by examining the environmental impacts of mining on host
communities, with a focus on the Goromonzi and Mazowe
districts, which are known for their significant extraction
operations. The study adopted a qualitative case study research
design. Data was collected using interviews, observations, focus
group discussions, and from secondary data sources. Analysis of
the data was highly centred on a thematic approach. Results
from the study demonstrated the impact of mining operations
on land and water resource degradation, biodiversity loss, and
social ills, which adversely affect people's health, livelihoods,
societal integration, and the overall resilience of host
communities. Various initiatives have been implemented to
suppress the dire impacts of mining, but socio-economic and
political challenges have limited their effectiveness. Hence,
addressing the negative effects of mining operations on host
communities requires a transparent, multi-stakeholder
approach that balances policies, resource conservation,
community resilience, gender, and intersectional justice with the
economic development brought about by mining.
Keywords—land degradation, mining, resource extraction,
host communities, biodiversity loss, pollution, livelihood loss
Cite: Pascal Manyakaidze, Steven Jerie, Hardlife Mudzingwa, Takunda Shabani, and Tapiwa Shabani, "Beyond Resource Extraction: The Adverse Socio- Environmental Impacts of Mining Operations in Host Communities of Goromonzi and Mazowe Districts, Zimbabwe," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 154-163, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).