Water resources policy and administrative management

Gudyanga project lies in Changazi ward 20 of Chimanimani District in Manicaland Province. The area falls under Natural Region 4 which is a semi-arid area and is in the catchment of Save International River. The project is located in an area where food security is being threatened by erratic rainfall and soils depleted of their productivity due to over-use of inorganic fertilizers and poor land management patterns and systems. This has also disturbed the soil structure resulting in high erosion rates and loss of soil nutrients due to leaching. In Gudyanga community, evidence of soil degradation is seen through the sprouting of gullies ( with a reported case of a pupil from Gudyanga Primary School who drowned to death in a gully adjacent to the school). On the whole, high levels of environmental degradation have been as a result of unplanned farming practices leading to proliferation of gullies in the ward. PROJECT GOAL To reduce land degradation through sustainable soil, water and forestry management practices in Changazi ward. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 1) To incerase and entrench awareness in environmnetal management and sustainable livelihood initiaives in Gudyanga communal area. 2) To reduce land degradation in part of Save River Catchment area through an integrated catchment management approach. 3) To improve the Gudyanga community based forestry management practices by minimizing the exploitation of the baobab tree species so as to ensure a stable and productive ecosystem. 4) To empower local institutions and local leadership to fully embrace community based environmental monitoring and general management practices 5) To document and disseminate community lessons and experiences at ward, district and national levels. OUTPUTS 1) At least 80 community representatives including all traditional leaders trained and fully aware and can articulate the land degradation causatives, processes and play a leading role by supporting improved management of environmental initiatives. 2) At least \ten community based trainers are actively training other community members in sisal and jatropha production and marketing. 3) Two gullies rehabilitated by end of year 2 in Gudyanga village 4) At least 70% of the households have planted jatropha and sisal plants by end of year 2. 5) Community based Monitoring and evaluation established and operational in Changazi ward 6) Project experiences documented and disseminated to all key stakeholders

Zimbabwe