Project Detail

Promoting Positive Livelihoods With Mitigation to Climate Change

1.0 Problem
Zimbabwe Women?s Bureau operates in Buhera district which is in ecological region four and five. Buhera is mostly located in low rainfall and infertile areas of about 450-650mm per annum. Most smallholder farmers in the area are vulnerable to the predicted climate change as they depend on rain fed agriculture which, by its very nature and contemporary climate regimes in their locales is too risky. More than 70% of the population living in Buhera depend on subsistence farming. The environmental and social consequences of climate change, especially for the poor, put their livelihoods at risky. Increases in temperature, shifting of cropping patterns all impact agriculture and food security. The serious problems of soil degradation and desertification in Mutiusinazita are likely to be worsened by climate change through accelerated erosion, fertility depletion, salinization and acidification. For the smallholder farmer, it represents a serious risk as they are less prepared to changes, owing to limited asset basis. Issues of food insecurity and poverty are therefore common and are likely to remain so within the current socio-economic conditions. Hence addressing the livelihood and food security issues as well as sustainable land use in Buhera is an immediate priority.

2.0 Project Goal
Conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of the natural resource base and basic environmental processes to enhance environmental stability is the overall goal of the project. This is in line with the GEFSGP Country Programme Strategic Priorities and responds to the problems of land degradation, poverty and drought, which are in Mutiusinazita in Buhera.

3.0 Objectives
1. To reduce forest loss and promote efficient stoves and afforestation to mitigate land degradation and effects of climate change in Buhera district, Mutiusinazita ward by December 2011.

2. To increase community responsiveness to present and future drought impacts and associated risk and vulnerability of 200 Mutiusinazita households, their needs and priority to address drought impacts and climate related risks and vulnerability by December 2011.
3. To increase enteprenuership development to 200 households of Mutiusinazita, Buhera district, so as to realise economic empowerment of 200 households by December 2011.

4.0 Project Activities
1.1 Seedling Production and growing of Indigenous Trees
1.2 Beekeeping ,construction of
beehives
1.4 Wood saving stoves
1.5 Organic farming
2.1 Climate change trainings
2.2 Beekeeping trainings
2.3 Wood saving stoves training.
2.4 Training on organic farming
2.5 Seedling production training
2.6Training for transformation
2.7 Business management
2.8 Community Income savings and lending methodology
2.9 Look and Learn

3.1 Business Management
3.2 Honey production
3.3 Vegetable production

5.0 Project Results
-Increase in trees planted
-Increase in plantations conserved
-Honey production
-reduction on deforestation
-Women?s burden of fetching firewood lessened
-More time for other household chores and Income Generating Activities.
-Increase in household food security
-Expenditure reduction in acquiring inputs
-Change in lifestyles in order to mitigate climate change
-Honey production
-reduction on deforestation
-Women?s burden of fetching firewood lessened
-More time for other household chores and Income Generating Activities.
-Expenditure reduction in acquiring inputs
-Increase in trees planted
-Increase in plantations conserved
-Change in lifestyles in order to be self reliant.
-Reduction on dependancy
-Increase in income generating activities
-Community save and meet basic needs
-Replication of innovative ideas from other areas.
-Increase in entrepreneurship skills
-Increase in Income Generating Activities
-Increase in disposable income
- Reduction in poverty levels
-Increase in disposable income
-Food security
-Increase in household food security
-Expenditure reduction in acquiring inputs

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau

Country:

Zimbabwe

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y3 (Jul 09 - Jun 10)

Grant Amount:

US$ 29,520.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 119,450.00

Project Number:

ZIM/SGP/OP4/Y3/CORE/2010/05

Start Date:

3/2010

End Date:

12/2011

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

An Income Savings and Lending (ISAL) methodology program will be set up in the community to encourage savings to generate more income for the groups.

Gender Focus

Climate change impacts men and women differently. The majority of the poor in Zimbabwe are women, and therefore they are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Therefore the climate change project will take the following specific needs into account:- ? Access to resources, including the right to own land and participate in productive activities. ? Equal custodianship of natural resources and production at community level. ? Women to share with men the burden for collecting water, cultivating crops and caring for the family. These activities are directly impacted by temperature increases, changes in rainfall, extreme weather events, and the spread of diseases. ? All members to be appraised of relevant climate change information. ? Equally representation in governance structures, from community level to national government level. ? Capacity building, awareness raising and education of all sexes for adaptation measures. This will include access to relevant information to reduce climate related risks through various forms (brochures in vernacular, media) and other systematic and creative means. ? Women will be empowered to make their voice heard in negotiations, dialogue and decision-making (at all levels) related to climate justice.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Exchange and learning programs will be used to strengthen and encourage members to continue using the knowledge they are taught even after the project ends.

Linkages gef projects

Presently ZWB is working in partnership with ZERO, a Regional Environment Organization, in carrying out a pilot project on adaptation to climate change in Goromonzi district. The three year program is being funded by IDRC (International Development Research Council).

Capacity - Building Component

The local leaders who are mandated to consider and resolve all issues relating to land, water and other natural resources within the area, together with the targeted community, will be capacitated so that they hold the collective rights of the villagers, and strengthen rights of communities over natural resources. Technical skills training, including organic farming methods, conservation farming, beekeeping, herbal production, organic farming, and wood saving stoves will be given to the community members.

Project sustainability

The project aims to build the capacities of community members, especially women and youth to plan and manage their own activities. Awareness raising in areas of need will be conducted and be provided to targeted communities so that they develop common understanding. Local management of projects and coordination of community member training will be done by the local community-based organizations so as to provide continuity. The project will focus on building local human resources, utilization and preservation / conservation of local resources, networking and promotion of information sharing through appropriate means for promotion of sustainable livelihoods. The intrinsic relationship between the environment and development now seems to be universally accepted, because economic development and environmental protection are mutually inclusive. The targeted communities, through awareness of climate change issues which is causing change of seasons and resulting in droughts, new diseases, floods and other ills, and with a better understanding of interdependence of development and environment, will continually work for their development and improvement of their environment. ZWB will also carry out the following for a sustained project:- ? ZWB will facilitate community ownership through the establishment of area committees which will work hand in hand with relevant local stakeholders and traditional leadership. ? An exit survey will be conducted during the second year of project implementation to identify needs and rectify problems before withdrawal. ? Area committees will be capacity built on the main aspects of the programme (training of trainers) to promote continuity after ZWB?s withdrawal. ? Since the project calls for greater participation of the whole family unit the gained knowledge will be useful to them in the later years of their lives, and they will continuously carry on with the project

Replication of project activities

The project will be replicated in other parts of the district through the following means: ? Liaising with other NGOs in the district with programmes on Climate change, and setting up demonstration plots. ? Allowing for exchange learning programmes to take place even during the implementation of this project so that interested partners keep abreast with the development of the programme.Their willingness to copy and replicate it would be made easier. ? There will also be the need to produce books on Climate Change issues and distributed to interested partners. ZWB acknowledges that as a multifaceted issue with interlinked challenges and threats, climate change issues need to be confronted in an integrated and coordinated manner if any real progress is to be achieved. To this end, cooperative arrangements with other countries and regions in the stewardship of global commons (or shared resources) such as rivers, forests and the climate is another inevitable reality which should be embraced by our leaders. However, while building global partnerships in addressing the climate crisis, our government should ensure that communities have real stewardship, access and control over the natural resources on which they depend rather than surrendering them to international foreign corporations and governments under the guise of partnerships.

Notable Community Participation

The project will be run by the targeted community members through area committees, and Train of Trainers (TOT), who are trained during the initial stages of the program. The local Agritex Extension Workers and Rural district Council will also be involved in every aspect of the project. For active participation, a demonstration site will be set up at each and every household targeted by the program. The demonstration sites will either be of beekeeping, indigenous woodlot, and conservation faming or wood saving stove.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project will promote awareness of Global Environment through exchange learning programmes with the community and distribution of information (pamphlets, brochures, DVDs, media and others) to the community. Case studies will also be produced and exchanged with other case studies from different regions and countries as a learning process.

Planning non gef grant

There are also plans to scale up the project using other sources of funding from potential funders like SIDA, DANIDA, DFID, DGIS and others, other than the GEF Grants

Planning gef grant

There are great chances of the project expanding to other areas because of the benefits that will be realized by the target group. An improvement in the local environment, an increase in disposable income and food self-sufficiency by households involved in the project, will encourage other surrounding members to get involved in the program. With the success of this project, ZWB is in a position to scale up the project to medium size GEF funding, and cover more wards of the district or even expand to other districts

Policy Influence

Through the trainings offered to the targeted community, members will be in a position to lobby the local authorities for a safer environment to live in. Community members will be able to protect their environment from degradation because they will be aware of the Bye-laws which protect their environment, especially on stream bank cultivation and extraction of various natural resources in their area. The trainings given to the community on Climate Change issues will also increase communities` understanding of climate change, enhance capacity in planning and designing projects for adaptation to climate change. The impacts of climate change on ecosystems and the natural resource base in the area will no longer heavily disrupt the livelihoods of the people due to the adaptive capacity of the community given through the trainings. There is a need for consultations to come up with a policy framework that ensures:- ? Transparency in decision-making, management and disbursement of revenues raised from the extraction, processing and sale of natural resources. ? Community-level management and decision-making supported by national-level authority (or public-community partnership) in the utilization and conservation of natural resources. ? Consciousness and awareness on ecology and socially responsible consumption. ? National ownership over each nation` s resources and productive assets ? A comprehensive national policy for economic diversification and for meeting the collective needs of the present and future generations, especially the poor and marginalized in society.

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