Bio-diversity

1.0 Problem The villages in Chegutu Rural Districts` Ward 4 face a myriad of challenges chief amongst them is deforestation (the indiscriminate cutting down of trees), land degradation through stream-bank cultivation, gullies due to loss of surface cover. This area in prone to soil erosion, soil infertility, deforestation and over harvesting of wood for fuel and medicines. The once dense forest around the banks of the nearby Mupfure River is now sparsely populated thus increasing the chances of siltation. The lack of education and awareness programs and land use planning can be cited as contributing to the accelerated degradation. As households increase the land available both for residential and farming purposes becomes less as more families have to do with sharing the little farming space available. This has disturbed natural ecosystems and thus reduces biodiversity and changes the habitats of certain species. The ward and its environs have experienced a reduction in crop and livestock diversity. 2.0 Project goal Improvement in environmental protection & climate change awareness through adoption of sustainable community initiatives and information sharing. 3.0 Objectives To build local capacities to appropriately and effectively manage and respond to environmental challenges and food security threats through training and workshops To increase household water supply through windmill driven pumps and water harvesting techniques ( and also increase water supply for gardening activities) Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and minimizing land degradation by establishing woodlots, orchards and planting of vertiver grass as well as reducing the demand for fuel wood through the promotion of energy efficient stoves 4.0 Project activities 1.1 Community mobilization. 1.2 Information sharing and dissemination 1.3 Mobilisation and buy in from community leaders (village heads, councilors, school heads and church leaders) 1.4 Training of Village Environment Protection Promoters. Activities relating to objective 2 2.1 training of all youth HH representatives on water harvesting techniques (cisterns, water ponds, earth banks, bench and contour stone terraces.) 2.2 Identification of locations for setting up the water pumps 2:4 construction of water harvesting structures Activities relating to objective 3 3.1 Raise awareness on safer gardening ad cropping practices 3.2 Training in conservation farming techniques (zero tillage, rotational cropping, progressive retention of crop residue, composting, integrated pest management ) 3.3 Relocation of stream bank gardens to designated safer zones 3.4: Purchasing of seed packs and distribution to participating households 3.5 Training on tree and vertiver grass planting 3.6 Transient walk to determine areas where the woodlots, orchard and vertiver grass can be planted 3.7 Planting of trees and vertiver grass in open and exposed soils and around the homesteads as hedges 3.8 Beneficiaries equipped & trained in constructing of alternative energy sources Indicator: 1 training workshop that trains 105 youth 3.9 Required inputs supplied Indicator: Inputs for 100 stoves purchased 3.10 Households have alternative energy sources Indicator: 100 stoves 5.0 Project Results -A well informed and capacitated community able to solve environmental and food insecurity challenges in its environs. -Increased household water supply -Improved moisture levels in the villages -Improved food security and community livelihoods -The energy efficient stove becomes the source of cooking energy of choice in the ward -Decrease in deforestation -Regeneration of trees and enhanced survival of woodland biodiversity

Zimbabwe