Christopher Magadza

FAAS
Christopher Magadza in 2017
Born1939 (age 84–85)
Burma Valley, Manicaland
Academic background
EducationUniversity College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (BSc, MSc)
University of Auckland (PhD)
ThesisComparative limnology of six hydroelectric dams on the Waikato River, New Zealand (1973)
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Zimbabwe
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
African Academy of Sciences
Middle Zambezi Biosphere Reserve

Christopher Magadza (born 1939, Burma Valley) is a Zimbabwean limnologist and poet. He has conducted research on the Planning and Management Model of Lakes and Reservoirs (PAMOLARE) as a tool in predicting and managing changes in lakes. He is a poet who belongs to a generation of great but largely unrecognized poets, whose talents emerged almost untutored, born of tenacity, inspiration, and a desire to capture their particular colonial, social, and personal circumstances.[1] He is a founding fellow of both the African Academy of Sciences and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences.

Life and career

Early life and education

Christopher Magadza was born in a village in Chief Kaswas's area, now called Burma Valley, in Manicaland, Zimbabwe in 1939. His family worked as laborers on a farm and did not own it.[2] He attended St Augustine's Mission, Penhalonga, near Mutare, and Fletcher High School in Gweru.[3] After completing his secondary schooling, he pursued a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.[3] Magadza completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.[3] in Limnology

from the Department of Biology at the University of Zimbabwe, where he is well known for his environmental studies in zoology and climatology.[4] He has conducted research on the Planning and Management Model of Lakes and Reservoirs (PAMOLARE) as a tool in predicting and managing changes in lakes.[4]

Magadza was a member of the International Lake Environment Committee and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,[5][6] and has conducted research on inland waters in New Zealand, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[7][8] In 2012, Magadza indicated that 50% of the water supplied to Harare is recycled urine due to man-made drought[9][10][11] which was part of nationwide threat to wetlands.[12][13] In February 2017, he advocated for Zimbabwe to ban the use of plastic[14] which was passed as a law panning Styrofoam in June of the same year.[15][16]

Although he retired from the University of Zimbabwe in 2007, he still teaches. He is actively involved in post-retirement activities, including the restoration of Lake Chivero[17][18] and Lake Kariba,[19][20] and the establishment of the Middle Zambezi Biosphere Reserve in the Global family of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.[3] Magadza has conducted studies on the basic chemical composition of inorganic elements in African lakes,[3] the environmental biology of fishes,[21] water quality measurements,[22] and climate change.[23][24]

Magadza was one of the founders of the African Academy of Sciences in 1985[25] and its vice president from 1987 until 1990.[26]

Poetry

Magadza published several books of poetry[27] and is recognised as a significant voice in Zimbabwean poetry.[3] has been praised for capturing colonial, social, and personal circumstances.[1][28] Magadza's poetry often reflects on the political and social context of Zimbabwe, with some of his work referencing the country's violent history and dashed hopes for change.[4]

While specific details about the critical reception of Magadza's poetry are not provided in the search results, it is noted that his work has been published on the Poetry International Web forum, and he has been active for decades.[29] Additionally, Magadza is described as belonging to a generation of poets whose talents emerged "almost untutored, born of tenacity, inspiration, and a desire to capture their particular colonial, social, and personal circumstances".[1]

Awards and honours

In 2007, Magadza was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and former vice president Al Gore for their work on climate change assessment.[3] He is a founding fellow of the African Academy of Sciences in 1985, and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Poetry of Chris Magadza Reviewed". www.poetryinternational.com (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  2. ↑ Wright, Derek (2014-05-13). "Hope is a Waking Dream: Magadza Research". Hope is a Waking Dream. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Chris Magadza". www.poetryinternational.com (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. 1 2 3 "Green revolutionist Chris Magadza on Zimbabwean poetry and non-reading UZ students » Zimbabwe reads". Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  5. ↑ Gebrewold, Belachew; Bloom, Tendayi (2016-06-10). Understanding Migrant Decisions: From Sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean Region. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-00478-3. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  6. ↑ "IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change". archive.ipcc.ch. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  7. ↑ "The power of digital media in wildlife conservation". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  8. ↑ Programme, United Nations Environment (2007). Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development, GEO 4. UNEP/Earthprint. ISBN 978-92-807-2836-1. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  9. ↑ Radio, Nehanda (2012-12-07). "Harare residents drinking urine". Nehanda Radio. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  10. ↑ "Harare drinking water polluted - UZ". Bulawayo24 News. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  11. ↑ NewsDay, The. "Multimedia:When water taps run dry". NewsDay. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  12. ↑ "Zimbabwe's Wetlands Threatened, as Illegal Development Goes Unpunished". Global Press Journal. 2018-09-03. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  13. ↑ "Wetlands: Constructing ourselves out of water". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  14. ↑ "Zimbabwe's styrofoam ban – DW – 10/02/2017". dw.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  15. ↑ "Zimbabwe Bans Plastic Foam Containers to Protect Environment". VOA. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  16. ↑ "Cleaning up Zimbabwe with a Styrofoam ban". The Mail & Guardian. 2017-10-03. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  17. ↑ Staff Reporter (2018-02-18). "Legislator wants Long Cheng Plaza destroyed". The Zimbabwe Mail. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  18. ↑ NewsDay, The. "New cholera scare hits Harare". NewsDay. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  19. ↑ Sicilia, Olga (August 2010). There Is No Such Thing As a Spirit in the Stone! Misrepresentations of Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture: An Anthropological Approach. Universal-Publishers. ISBN 978-1-59942-711-9.
  20. ↑ Theroux, Paul (2011-08-04). Fresh-air Fiend: Travel Writings, 1985-2000. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-95055-5.
  21. ↑ Tsiko, Sifelani. "Zimbabwe: Lake Chivero - a Polluted Lake". allAfrica.
  22. ↑ "Redirect Notice". www.google.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  23. ↑ Toward Environmentally Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A World Bank Agenda. World Bank Publications. 1996. ISBN 978-0-8213-3599-4. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  24. ↑ Falola, Toyin (2004). Nationalism and African Intellectuals. University Rochester Press. ISBN 978-1-58046-149-8. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  25. 1 2 "Magadza Christopher | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Archived from the original on 2022-11-07. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  26. ↑ "The Governing Council | The AAS". www.aasciences.africa. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  27. ↑ "New collection of poems by Christopher Magadza on Poetry International Web | The Power of Culture". www.krachtvancultuur.nl. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  28. ↑ "Music motivated the fighters". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  29. ↑ "New collection of poems by Christopher Magadza on Poetry International Web | The Power of Culture". www.krachtvancultuur.nl. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
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