Bio-diversity

The project addresses GEFSGP focal area of biodiversity conservation. The proposed intervention falls under capacity building category. The project will build on work already funded by the GEF/SGP in Phase I, amounting to US$29 945.50 from 2006 to 2008. Background to community: Household livelihoods are centered on subsistence farming. The average household owns 7 cattle, 8 goats, and 15 chickens and 5 turkeys. A large diversity of crops is grown for household consumption and for sale. These include maize, wheat, beans, paprika, onions, potatoes, garlic, sunflowers, potatoes, green vegetables and tomatoes. Market gardening is an important source of income for most villagers and the communities will make considerable progress toward higher incomes and more secure livelihoods if biodiversity and wetlands continue to be conserved and protected. A number of villagers, using careful land management and rainwater harvesting around their homesteads have produced large gains in agricultural production, tree density and available water. This has helped also to increase their household incomes by 30-50% in three years. However, this need to be replicated in other poor homesteads surrounded by ecosystems that have been degraded which tend to limit their potential as sources of environmental income. In this community it is also clear that poverty has serious negative implications for the environment since the poor while protective of their lands, also tend to degrade the same land while trying to assure their subsistence. Lack of fuel wood exerts pressure on women and children and also exacerbate their vulnerability. Within this scenario, energy increasingly becomes a critical input to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The following activities were covered in the first phase of the project: 1.Increasing wood-biomass production Under this activity tree nurseries planned were established and completed. These were planted at household and community levels. At household level, twenty-seven (27) nurseries were established and one at community level. One woodlot measuring one hectare was fenced and carrying 100 gum-trees and 300 indigenous. Through environmental workshops, villagers were highly discouraged to continue planting gum trees but grow more indigenous trees. Jatropha trees were also planted as live fence against livestock. 2.Environmental awareness workshops The importance of woodlands, forests and water and their economic functions, both community and national level, to achieve sustainable livelihoods were issues ZIMNET highlighted and underscored. Two workshops, one for traditional leaders and the other for the villagers, were held geared to raise environmental awareness, biodiversity protection and conservation. By-laws to assist in the enforcement and monitoring of biodiversity protection and conservation, were formulated and documented in a participatory manner. 3.Promotion of Chingwa Stove as Energy Saving Device Due to high deforestation, village members were trained on how to construct a wood-fuel saving stove and two workshops were held for this purpose. with four (3) builders trained. After the training, eight (8) stoves were then built and install as case studies in selected households. Shortage of grates also hampered further construction of these stoves. 4.Management of Water Resources within the Mountain Range In order to harvest water sustainably, a weir and two (2) reservoirs were constructed to capture the perennial water from the streams and rivulets which are abundant within the mountain range.This water is intended to be channeled to fields and gardens below the range. Plastering of the reservoirs will be done in Phase two (2). 5.Cross-cutting Issues Project members were exposed to various courses through workshops to enhance their skills and knowledge such as training for transformation, conflict resolution and management, gender and development, principles of book-keeping and financial management. These courses will be continued during Phase 2 for continuity and also introduce report writing training workshops to enhance project documentation skills. Results Achieved Nursery sites were completed and fenced two at community level and 120 at household level. Woodlots were fenced and now carry very few gum-trees as members were highly discouraged to grow eucalyptus as they suck a lot of underground water and affect wetland areas. Jatropha was also planted as live fence against livestock but cuttings planted did not do well. More of these will be obtained in Avila, Nyanga North during Phase 2. During this Phase environmental awareness workshops were more of an eye-opener to most project members. However, their awareness to some extent was raised and will be enhanced during Phase 2. With by-laws having been instituted, deforestation was reduced but more enforcement and monitoring need to be done to retain biodiversity. The Chingwa Stove, despite having only eight stoves constructed during this phase, within traditional kitchens , has proved to be very popular with villagers. Shortages of materials such as grates was a huge challenge as they to be bought from suppliers in Harare and there were no funds available. The rest of the materials can be found locally. For those households that have managed to install it the have enjoyed its multi-purpose role such as heating water, baking and cooking. It uses very little fire wood. It has also helped as an incubator for chickens. The weir an

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