Bio-diversity

The Chandarwarira Bangira Dam and Grazing Scheme is an initiative by the community in Ward G of Mhondoro aimed at environmental rehabilitation.As with most communal areas ,Mhondoro suffers the problems of soil erosion , deforestration and shortage of water .The sum total of this is the problem of desertification resulting in extensive losses of biodiversity. The propsed dam will ensure increased supplies of water in the dam without which all attempts at biodiversity protection will not succeed . The dam will hold up to 30 400m3 or 66 87057 gallons of water at full capacity. Most erosion problems in communal areas result from poorly managed grazing areas. It is proposed to introduce rotational grazing around the dam through the establishment of a 677 hectare grazing scheme. While this is will help reduce soil erosion it will also ensure better management of the veld and the regeneratuion of various indigenous species of trees and grasses which are currently non-existent in the area. The objectives of the project are : -to ensure a reliable source o fwater for ecologically sustainable agricultural development. -to increase off-take levels of livestock as a result of properly managed rangelands. -to reduce the rate of both soil erosion and deforestration in Ward G of Mhondoro. -to strengthen the capacity of community groups to make decisions for themselves, manage their project and spearhead the development process. -to protect and rehabilitate the environment through gulley reclamation activities, afforestation and reforestation. -to improve the livelihood aspect through vegetable production, dairy farming and poultry keeping. Major activties to be embarked upon in the project include: 1. core trench digging for the dam. 2. fence erection for range land management 3.planting of grasses in the rangeland, 4. tree planting and conservation 5. soil conservation measures. 6. conservation competitions The project participants and or beneficiaries are the1200 families living in the six villages which form VIDCO`s 7 and 8 namely Bangira, Tazvitya, Murombedzi, Dzwairo,Muza, Samasuwo. The outputs from the project are ;dam construction, range management which involves creation of paddocks,catchment protection involving establishment of woodlots and gulley reclamation.Gardening projects and fruit tree plantations are some of the outputs.As a result of this project other activities have sprang up such as tobbacco growing and housing projects and the establishement of an eco-tourism centre.

Zimbabwe