Our mission extends beyond legal and policy research, advocacy, impact litigation, conflict resolution and civic education into the communities that we serve.

Formed in 2000 and legally constituted as a Trust in November 2001 under Notarial Deed of Trust MA1669/2001, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) is a premier public interest environmental law group based in Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) has established itself as a premier natural resources governance organisation in Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region. ZELA’s work has evolved around promotion of environmental rights to a broader natural resource governance agenda that include natural resources such as land, water, wildlife, gas and mineral resources. ZELA is a critical node to all major discussions on natural resources governance particularly as it relates to extractives. The organisation’s capacity to conduct legal, policy and practice relevant research has firmly established ZELA as a critical voice, convenor and knowledge broker on natural resources governance. An important niche for the organisation has been the fact that it works to promote natural resource governance through a legal approach lens.  ZELA currently works at the local community level, with local authorities, civil society and national level stakeholders.

ZELA’s work is mainly anchored on a core group of rights which are reflective of natural resources governance namely Environmental, Economic, Social and Cultural (EESC) rights. As such a large component of our work involves influencing implementation and reforms within legal and institutional frameworks governing the environment and natural resources sector mainly through research, civic education and advocacy. As an organisation we believe that having adequate policies and laws in place and monitoring operationalisation of these, are the first steps towards good governance of the environment and natural resources. The organisation has over 18 years experience in making notable contributions to the legal, policy and institutional frameworks governing the environment and natural resources sectors for broad based sustainable environmental ,and socio-economic development in Zimbabwe and beyond through the work that is done nationally, regionally and internationally.