Environmental policy and administrative management

The project seeks to reverse land degradation with focus on reclaiming Zhomba gulley. The gulley is located in Chief Nenyunga area of Gokwe North in Midlands province. The land degradation is as a result of unplanned settlements in the catchment, inherent poor soil structure, deforestation and uncontrolled animal movements. The overall goal is to reverse land degradation through integrated catchment protection in an effort to restore soil fertility, improve biodiversity and ultimately the livelihoods of the community. The specific objectives include: 1) To reduce land degradation in Zhomba catchment area by 75% by year 2007 2) To reduce siltation of downstream surface water sources, for example the nearby Sengwa area 3) To establish soil conservation strategies and structures to reduce soil loss and the resultant drop in crop yields 4) To engage in water harvesting techniques to reduce the erosive power of water 5) To improve biodiversity through planting of multi-purpose trees in the protected gully area at the homesteads

Zimbabwe