Three decades of woodland cover change in Hwedza, Zimbabwe reveals similar trajectories of woodland loss in communal and resettlement areas

Zimbabwe has pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, which if accomplished may enhance the delivery of ecosystem services. Uncertainty over the extent of woodland cover change and the impact of land redistribution could impede progress. Through comparative analysis of communal and resettlement areas we investigated the patterns, causes and implications of land-cover change in Hwedza, Zimbabwe between 1990 and 2020. Land-cover classification of remotely sensed data reveals that Hwedza has transitioned from a trajectory of net woodland loss to net woodland gain. There is no evidence that resettlement increased deforestation compared to communal areas. Changes in off-farm income, smallholder tobacco farming, and reduced profitability of staple crops were perceived by interviewees to be important factors affecting woodland change. Due to the importance of woodland services such as fuelwood, our findings highlight the need to address the societal implications of policies aiming to reduce deforestation .