“This project has indeed helped me and other women to earn an income from the sales of carrots and cabbages, and the crops are still yielding,- thanks to CDLA, which is supported by the GEF SGP in Zambia.”
Lobby of villages by-laws- It is through establishment of local level control mechanisms of the utilization of natural resources that indiscriminate cutting of trees and unsustainable harvesting and utilization of Natural Resource areas controlled. The projects conducted sensitization meetings in the project centers to sensitize communities on the need to take care of their resources. Meetings were also held with traditional leaders i.e. the chief and headmen to encourage taking a leading role in setting up control mechanisms at local level.
Results Successful projects up scaled/replicated:
Use of energy saving stoves
Prevention of discriminate cutting of forestsSupport towards development of eco-tourism/community camp
SGP activity in figures:
Globally significant species protected: The forest spanning 14,000 hectares was under threat by charcoal burners and traditional bee keepers in Raphael village (Nyimba District). Due to the intervention, charcoal burning in this specific area has reduced tremendously and its survival will greatly depend on sustaining the intervention.
Areas protected, rehabilitated or sustainably managed: over 70,000 ha of forests conserved.
The project supported by GEF SGP Zambia started in 2010 and ended in mid-2012. The project aims to improve the rural poor’s livelihoods while protecting and improving the environment through promotion of Agroforestry and Beekeeping in Chongwe district. Although SGP funding for the project ended in mid- 2012, project activities have continued. The initiative have had an immense contribution to the management of the natural resources, first and foremost organic agriculture is based on sustainable use of the land, this entails improving and sustaining the soils. Farmers who have adopted organic farming are able to use their fields sustainably hence reduce on the opening of new field through cutting down of trees. The use of agroforestry has been key, since farmers can practice improved fallows, green manure and planting of nitrogen fixing trees to improve soil fertility. There has been remarkable increase in crop yield (productivity). This means the impact of deforestation is reduced. With 250 beneficiaries, the results of this intervention was establishment of woodlots at household level, fruit trees, food banks of Moringa Olifera, planting of soil fertility trees and crops and Beekeeping activities. The outcome has been that households have become more food secure and have started earning an extra income from beekeeping activities. There has been a steady increase also of the number of trees being planted given that the area was deforested.
June 2013 - Best Sustainable Community Based Initiative
The receiver of the Award is SGP grantee partner "Bird Watch Zambia" for the SGP funded project ZMB/SGP/OP5/Y2/CORE/BD/12/12
June 2013 - Best Exhibitor Award in Forest Management
The receiver of this Award is grantee partner "Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre" for the SGP funded project ZAM/SGP/OP4/Y1/CORE/2010/14
