Project Results
Key Out puts
? Grassing of 100 m sq. of grass to control erosion affected areas
? Capacity building for 20 women, 35 men, and 130 youths and ten organizations
? Construction of 30 meters interlocking walkway into the source of the river
? 50% improvement in the aesthetic value of the source
? Planting of 30 fruit trees
Key outcomes
? Drafting of River Ethiope Rights Bill making it the first of such bill in Africa
What would you say are the key innovations that make your project stand out and were critical to successful environmental, social and economic outcomes?
? Partnership and collaboration
? Working on a project that is common source of livelihoods to many stakeholders
The main project activities include stakeholders? sensitization and mobilization, awareness and education, landscaping and Afforestation, control of gully erosion, river bank repairs, storm water management, creation of river protection bill, and litter removal and policy reform.
Describe the manner of indirect benefits and the indirect beneficiaries:
The target beneficiaries were community people that depend on River Ethiope, tourist, resort developers, researchers and students
What would you say are the key innovations that make your project stand out and were critical to successful environmental, social and economic outcomes?
These include partnership and collaboration, community participatory and low impact development approaches
How did you engage the local community and key stakeholders to participate in the project?
The local community and key stakeholders were engaged through formation of Global memorandum of
understanding that encourages dialogue and regular meetings among all stakeholders.
Environmental Impact
What measurable impact has the project had in terms of environmental protection since the beginning of the project? Where possible, please provide statistics and numbers that document the change or impact of the project over time
Before the project intervention less than 7% of community members of did not possessed the understanding required to promote sustainable development efforts in the area. Today, 75% of the community members are empowered to support the drive to promote sustainable development of River Ethiope basin. They now value River Ethiope and more ready to support and participate in the protection of River Ethiope services. Indiscriminate passing of urine and defecation in and around River Ethiope source by community members have be stopped. Illegal mining activities and deforestation in the source have be reduced. Good household keeping among community members have improved thereby reducing the amount of pollutants load in storm water runoff entry into River Ethiope by 25%.
What have been the secondary benefits?
Increased community contacts in form of recreation, student excursion and spiritual homage
Have species, habitat or ecosystems been protected through your work? If so, please describe
Yes, through our landscaping and afforestation activities, previously degraded areas are now being restored and wildlife are gradually returning back to the site.
How does your group measure the environmental impacts?
By monitoring the amount of pollutant loads in the storm water runoff entering the river and flow rate, birds count, increased in human contacts and appearance of previously disappeared aquatic life returning to their former habitats.
Socio-economic impacts
What measurable change has there been in local incomes and job opportunities? (Change in average household income, job creation, revenues, livelihood diversification, livelihood/income diversification, market access etc) Where possible, please provide statistics and numbers that document the change or impact of the project over time.
As result of the restoration work going on at the source, investors are now seeking to invest in developing the source into an international tourism center and production of natural spring water. The initiative has also led to increase in tourists visiting the source. This has led to increase in income generation from eco-tourism activities to the source on weekly basis.
The project has empowered the community in seeing River Ethiope source as huge source of wealth creation and social integration. A resort center has be established where social activities are held every week end
Policy Impacts
In what ways has your initiative advocated for policy change?
The project is currently seeking for a bill to declare River Ethiope Basin as a legal entity under which it will be the first river in Africa to be given legal rights. This development has led to Government at both state and federal levels to review the hitherto legislations with a view to reforming their effectiveness
Has there been success in influencing policy at what level (community, institution, municipal, regional) and what were the critical factors that made that success possible?
The project has influenced the choice of the River Ethiope as one of the selected site for biodiversity conservation, pilot rights of nature implementation in Africa and experimental center for Integrated water resource management and Ecohydrology by United Nation Harmony with Nature Programme, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Earth Law Center and UNESCO Integrated Center for River Basin management respectively and this has be attributed to the success recorded by the project in bringing all stakeholders together to discuss the problems, solutions and opportunities of River Ethiope.
