The Woodcraft Industry Of The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road

A study was conducted along the Victoria Falls to Bulawayo Road to document the woodcraft industry. One of the objectives was1 to analyze the rules and regulations governing wood use in the industry and the institutional arrangements around these. Secondly, the study aimed at documenting the contributions that carving makes to the local economy. Thirdly, the study focused on the ecological impact of the industry on the local woodlands. A total of 24 markets were counted between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo with major concentrations around the tourist resorts ofHwange National Park and Victoria Falls. Monthly incomes of carvers ranged between $42 and $4000. A total of 940 beneficiariesfrom seven markets were counted. Marketing strategies are mostly dependent on the flow of tourists along the road. There was, little evidence for damaging impact on local woodlands resulting from the carving activities. The amount of wood used by the carvers is equivalent to a small proportion of the “waste” of commercial logging companies. The study calls for the support of this budding industry and establishing mechanisms to enhance the status and incomes from this activity on a sustainable basis.