Project Detail

REDUCTION OF LAND DEGRADATION IN MAJINGA VILLAGE WARD 4, MBIRE DISTRICT THROUGH SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

Majinga village is located in ward 4 and has a total population of 701 of which 365 are women and 336 are men. The District is experiencing widespread damage to the environment owing to increased human activities. This includes cutting down of trees, rampant felling of mukwa tree for furniture making, unsustainable farming practices and stream bank cultivation.

The other problems that also need to be addressed include overstocking, use of pesticides, mono cropping and veld fires. A recent study by AGRITEX indicated that soil losses were as high as 35 tonnes per hectare.

1.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
) To improve livelihoods of 150 households in Majinga through improved conservation farming and crop diversification by end of 2010.
b) To conserve soil and improve its potential value for food production
c) To raise awareness on integrated catchment protection with focus on mitigating land degradation.

2.0 ACTIVITIES
a) Conducting awareness raising workshops on rehabilitation of the catchment area
b) Selection and registration of 150 farmers
c) Training selected farmers in conservation farming
d) Planting vertiva, sisal and jatropha in degraded areas
e) Woodlots establishment through planting of moringa trees

3.0 OUTCOMES
a) Soil and water sustainably managed and utilized resulting in improved nutrition standards
b) Improved grass/woodland ecosystem and degraded area rehabilitated
c) Awareness on catchment protection and sustainable farming methods raised
d) Community capacity to manage their land and environment enhanced.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

LOWER GURIVE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

Country:

Zimbabwe

Area Of Work:

Land Degradation

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y2 (Jul 08 - Jun 09)

Grant Amount:

US$ 21,663.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 24,956.04

Project Number:

ZIM/SGP/OP4/Y2/CORE/2009/02

Start Date:

8/2009

End Date:

12/2011

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Awareness campaigns held at community level would be participatory and communities would be asked the effects of their actions. Problem trees would be used to explain causes of global warming and its effects.

Replication of project activities

Based on the rate of success of the project, the project will be replicated in other wards of the district. Any lessons learnt in Majinga project will be used to remedy implementation of the project in other wards.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Conservation farming as an intervention seeks to reduce the food deficit levels of households. This area is drought prone and education on climate changes mitigation and adaptation strategies are very essential.

Project sustainability

Majinga village community will be trained in conservation farming and land reclamation. A steering committee will be put in place for the project. This committee will be responsible for coordinating land reclamation activities long after LGDA had pulled out of the area.

Planning gef grant

Majinga village project will provide a wealthy of invaluable experiences on the implementation of projects that reverse the impact of environmental damage. Thus based on these experiences,there is a plan to scale up the projects to medium scale. The project intends to set up biodigesters in the project areas. the benefits of scaling up of the project will also see the environment benefiting.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

None

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

None

Notable Community Participation

The community was key to identification of the environmental problems in the area. Community mapping would also be used during the planning process and they would define where they would want to be in the next two years in terms of environmental consciousness.All age groups will be involved and a sense of ownership will be inculcated.

Capacity - Building Component

There would be trainings in environmental education for them to be wardens of the environment. These will be facilitated by MACOBAO staff.

Policy Influence

With the realisation of the benefits from conservation farming and the reclamation of degraded land, communities are likely to pass resolutions at local levels of not cutting down trees. Other practices that contribute to soil erosion like pulling logs and sledges are likely to be punishable offenses in the community.

Policy Impact

With the realization of the benefits from conservation farming and the reclamation of degraded land, communities are likely to pass resolutions at local levels of not cutting down trees. We are likely to see the community controlling th nature of settlements in the area through local policies that govern pattern of settlement.

Gender Focus

women are part of the project committee and are active participants in decision making.

Project Results

Two monitoring visits were conducted and the findings were bricks for gully reclamation were ready, 146 farmers are practising conservation farming and three out of four farmers had started potholing.

Three fire fighting committees for the 3 villages in Majinga were established. No veld fires were recorded in Majinga.

Gully reclamation was taken up by other neighbouring communities such as Bonga. One gully and two borehole sites have been reclaimed. 50% of the vertiver, 50 % sisal, 20% leukina has been distributed to farmers. The nurseries were established.

Thirty members were trained on tree seedling production. The farmers have produced leukina and jatropha seedlings.

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