Tiny Houses as a Panacea for Climate Change Mitigation and Biodiversity Loss in Zimbabwe
by Christabel Zhou, John Gamuchirai Mhlanga and Nelson Mhlanga
It all began as a normal conversation till global shaping ideas started being thrown around and a call to action was jointly made by three youths. It had been a long but fruitful foot patrol day deep in the African wilderness in the heart of the Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy area of Zimbabwe We had seen elephants, kudu and the elusive black rhino and recovered 5 snares! Back at the ranger station cramped in the tiny lounge made for student researchers reflecting on the day, someone brought up the issue of how the rooms at the facility were small but very functional. That triggered a discussion around how tiny minimalist houses could be the solution we have been seeking all this time regarding biodiversity loss and climate change.
The increasing pressure on the limited land resources instigates the need for radical and convivial system change with regards to infrastructure development, especially housing and shelter provision. Bourgeoning human populations and increased affluence as evidenced by a growing middle class in Africa, have seen a demand rise for land and housing assets across the continent. The rich and affluent have resorted to building even bigger houses and malls. But therein lies the conundrum. With this growing development, concurrent degradation has been observed through the biodiversity loss crisis as characterized by species extinction incidents, habitat degradation and fragmentation through deforestation activities.
The land is cleared for infrastructural developments to be established, trees are cut for the provision of roofing materials to build these structures including massive houses, not to mention the furniture and energy-consuming appliances that will flamboyantly furnish these. Overall this translates to tonnes of trees cut and millions of hectares of land lost each year to housing developments across the continent.
The significance of trees, forests and intact ecosystems to climate change can never be understated as they provide key ecosystem services as carbon sinks. The need for more timber and more land to build even bigger houses has propounded the school of thought that tiny houses are actually a solution to the biodiversity loss and climate change crisis.
Tiny houses will promote the sustainable cities goal of the SDGs as they require less land hence less land is cleared resulting in reduced biodiversity loss and more land available for trees which helps mitigate climate change effects. Tiny houses also will be a relief to the power/energy sector as they use less power to run a few appliances therein. Changing to tiny houses would make it easier for most people to own houses thereby making the land issue more equitable in Africa and even the poor will be able to own decent housing.
Tiny Houses Development projects financed by a local bank in Harare, Zimbabwe.
However significant systems change will need to be realized before this can be a reality. Key to this is the role of government and local authorities in parcelling and land allocation decision-making. The creation and promotion of a class suburb categorization system in Africa have not helped this, here small houses are found in areas called locations / high-density suburbs, medium houses in medium-density suburbs and huge mansions in low-density areas. This class categorization promotion by local governments has enabled the proliferation of massive infrastructural developments that take up significant space and result in a loss of a lot of trees to fuel a growing affluent community, yet with a detrimental impact on biodiversity and climate change.
Coupled with a growing population that is not climate nor environmental conservation sensitive, there is definitely an identified need to raise community consciousness and awareness on issues to do with deforestation, biodiversity and climate change. This would also cover issues to do with housing and development and the role that every citizen can play in climate change impact mitigation by resorting to smaller tiny houses.
Local institutions of higher education that churn architects, surveyors and civil engineers by the hundreds are also key players that can be brought to help turn the table. Through integrating climate sciences and modules on environmentalism in their curriculum they stand to gain an enlighten graduand force that will save the planet from the climate change and biodiversity loss crisis.
Finance institutions including local banks which fund most major housing developments can add value to this argument through the provision of support and access to affordable tiny housing facilities for equitable and decent housing opportunities for all.
The inclusion of youth through targeted employment in the construction sector, real estate industry and local government can also help shape the narrative and enhance the change we need. Millennial youths who form over 60% of the African population are turning to minimalist and green-conscious decisions about where they live, what they eat and what they wear. Harnessing this youth group and putting them forward at the Ideanation and planning processes of the future they want will enable the dissemination of ideas around how smaller smarter cities can be achieved.
All this was discussed as people took sips from their water bottles and the occasional one removed elephant dung from the soles of the patrol boots we wore. It was then and still stands evident that key system change is required for the containment of biodiversity loss and the climate change crisis, and tiny houses could be a panacea to this development - biodiversity loss - climate change conundrum.
About
Christabel (submission lead) is a current undergraduate student at the Chinhoyi University of Technology, her passions border around sustainable development, community engagement and wildlife conservation.
