The Impact of Human Activities on the Environment, Case of Mhondongori in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe

This study was proposed to explore the impact of human activities on the environment in Mhondongori. In this community, there are natural resources that include minerals, natural forest, wetlands, rivers and beautiful mountains. However, over the past two decades, the environmental quality of the community has deteriorated demonstrating irresponsible use of natural resources by humans. Indeed, if such poor natural resource management continues at the current rate, this would ultimately lead to extinction. Qualitative research design and convenience sampling methods were used. The study involved six participants who provided the data. An interview guide and observation techniques were used to collect data. Using content analysis data was classified into themes and a scorecard was used to determine the human activities on the environment and their impact. The results revealed that in Mhondongori, human activities that affected the environment were mining, veld fire, cutting down trees, overgrazing, excessive communal hunting and fishing, littering, water and air pollution. The impacts were the degradation of land, permanent scars on the landscape, deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitats, disappearance of wetlands, destruction of trees, grass, seed bank and seedlings, pollution of streets, bushes and rivers, disruption of migration and hibernation of animals. To conserve the environment, it was recommended that community leadership must develop appropriate environmental management strategies to mitigate these unfavourable impacts and that the state must empower Mhondongori leadership through reasonable legislative and other measures that would prevent environmental degradation.

Project Planning and Scheduling in the Face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR)

This paper addresses the integrated processes of planning and scheduling of projects using technologies advanced tools as means for managing change in the era of the 4IR.The paper explores the traditional project management planning and scheduling tools in conjunction with what technology has to offer,to bridge the gap between the traditional project management planning and scheduling tools and what the modern-day business market demands.An analysis of literature covering a wide range of theoretic and empirical studies was performed.The theories underlying various planning and scheduling methods were analysed in relation to the design of projects.A descriptive quantitative secondary data was used as a tool to assess the impact of technology on project planning for scheduling.The analysis of the study’s data was conducted using the principles of cross-tabulation.Inferences were drawn on the significant impact of the use of advanced technological tools on project planning for scheduling in current business time.Organisations can make use of the findings of this study to correctly apply the available advanced technological tools for more efficient schedule management planning to enhance the successful delivery of their projects.Further,this research can be used to provide learning opportunities for new and inexperienced planners and schedulers,and as a basis for further research in this field of knowledge.