SECTION A: PROJECT RATIONALE AND APPROACH

Project Summary
The action seeks to promote conservation of bio diversity through protection and sustainable use of wetlands for improvement of livelihoods in Ward 15 of Matobo district in Matabeleland South province. The key environmental problems to be addressed by the project include the current wetlands depletion as a result of unsustainable utilization and land degradation in the area. All members of the community lead a natural resource based livelihoods; therefore there is a sharp decline and degradation of wetlands due to the heavy reliance on them by communities for gardening and watering livestock during the dry season when water becomes scarce. The invasion of the catchment areas by the invader lantana camara and lopholoena spciformis has pushed livestock cattle and donkies to graze on the wetlands

There are two wetlands that have degraded over the years after last users moved to the new resettlement areas, in the two villages of ward 15 especially in drier ecological Regions IV and V of Matabeleland South.The Ntujambili wetland in Ntunjambili village has dried up and covers about 2km in extent with a catchment area of about 25ha. It has a history of having been the largest wetland in the district which at one time claimed the life a two fully grown oxen which were swallowed 100% and never retrieved.

There is limited ecological evidence on the extent of biodiversity loss in relation to bird species loss, amphibians, reptiles other small insects like butterflies, ants, bees and there will be need to carry out a baseline to establish the species diversity in these wetlands. Oral evidence is available from communities, rural leadership and Environmental institutions on the loss of the biodiversity of species ranging from grass, plant, tree, wild life species(impala, duickers, small antelopes, butterflies for amacimbi (madora) amphibians, some birds, reptiles like guano lizards, aquatic plants like reeds, palms.

The Ngwabi wetlands in Gulathi village covers about 3km in length with a catchment area of 25 ha has been successfully actively utilized by a Ngwabi family for a dairy project and then relocated to the newly resettlemts on former commercial farms. It was after the departure of the Ngwabi?s in 2002 that the degradation set in with cattle moving to graze on the wetland throughout and mainly being pushed to the wetland due to the lanatana camara and lopholoena spiciformis invasion of the grazing areas. There is noticeable new invasion of some sections of the wetland invasion by water hyacinth. The wetlands still supports a small vegetable garden managed by one business family and a disused garden with a perimeter barbed wire fence. The most dominant fauna species are different types of grass, reeds, water lilies, water weeds, and some indigenous tree species which are on the verge of extinction. This wetland area is a habitat of most insect species, birds like weaver birds. Hares, amphibians and fish species like breams, catfish. Fauna extinction was reported for small antelopes, impala, duicker, reptiles, zebra, and wildebeest some bird species like the secretary bird, ?uthekwane?, and large doves.

The fate of the wetlands is faced with governances challenges related to communality of the resource (the tragedy of the Commons). Individuals and groups of farmers claim ownership of the wet lands and therefore nobody is responsible for conservation and protection of the wetlands and hence degradation and overgrazing on the wetlands themselves. The policy and legal framework is not supportive either, as the numerous pieces of legislation appear to be in conflict with each other instead of supporting or complimenting each other.

The planned project seeks to rehabilitate and protect the wetlands to support sustainable livelihoods options which primarily are based on non timber forest products and nutritional gardens. The ripple effect will be an improvement in the ground water recharge to ensure that water is available for other uses as well as improving bio diversity. The proposed approach including training, awareness-raising, the communities will be supported with fencing materials in order to protect their wetlands as well as reducing deforestation of the surrounding catchments as an invasion by mentioned invader species. This gives them an opportunity for implementing planned wetland gardens for improving household food security and income without destruction of their crops by livestock.

The protected wetlands will be sources of raw materials for wood carving, mats and basketry production for domestic use and income generation through exploitation of non timber forest products like apiculture, wild fruits harvesting, woodlots and agro-forestry projects, fisheries, fodder grasses.
The Action seeks to raise awareness on the Gender dynamics in development projects and provide equity between men and women and youths and facilitate build in project ownership as a means to ensure sustainability. It will facilitate the access to finances from Micro Finance Institutions for the access to required inputs in the successful implementation of the Livelihoods projects.
Project Administration
The administrative approach will be participatory from the onset with the Lead organization, Zimbabwe Humanitarian and Livelihood Development Trust (ZHLDT) engaging with provincial and district leadership and providing technical assistance to the implementing partner organization, Maranatha Orphans Care Trust a local Community based organization (CBO) already operating and registered in Matobo Rural District Council.

The Lead agency will receive funding and administer the funds on behalf of the CBO and carry out capacity building to facilitate the CBO?s efficient implementation of the Action with the benefitting communities. The CBO (Maranatha) will be responsible for action activities on a day to day basis in Matobo district. The Lead agency will enlist specialist associate CSOs and Government Ministries and departments as indicated on table below.

1.2. Organizational Background and Capacity to implement the Project
Zimbabwe Humanitarian and Livelihoods Development Trust (ZHLDT) as lead agency is a registered national Trust with a 9 member Board of Trustees and compliment of 5 volunteer personnel as indicated in the organizational structure and profile annexed.
? Building humanitarian Resiliencies, Food Security and Nutrition promotion, Livelihoods options and Innovations, Shelter and WASH, Climate change and adaptability, Gender, Disabilities, Minority rights, HIV/AIDS, Environment, Consultancy
ZHLDT Partnership Experience
? Former member of the National Selection Committee of Africa 2000
? Managed the GEF Rural household solar programme in Matabeleland and Midlalnds provinces in Partnership with UN GEF, Ministry of Energy, Local Government and JICA
? Coordinated protracted drought relief experiences and was best implemented in a partnership framework, with 5 partner CSO/NGO on WASH relief in Urban and rural areas with average budget of nearly $US 2million per year.
? UNDP Outstanding Contribution towards Conservation of the Global Environment Award 2001
? Member of Matabeleland Humanitarian NGO Forum
? Member of the Matabeleland National Economic Forum (NECF)s Social Services and Poverty Eradication - ZIMASSET task force.
? Member of the National WASH Cluster
? Supervisor and Coordination of The UNDP/Donor/Government partnership in Matabeleland Give a Dam Campaign
? Member of NANGO and awarded Longstanding Board Member for Western Region Award 2013
ZHLDT founded in 2012, finally registered in 2014 was funded by Oxfam on WASH programming in Insiza district working closely with Zimbabwe Project Trust on environmental sound WASH interventions(see reference letter attached)
Implementing Partner
? The Implementing Partner is Maranatha Aids Orphans Trust a registered CBO with Matobo Rural Distrct Council has been operating in the district for the past 8 years on various development programmes. The organization also conducts community consultation and mobilization, awareness raising, capacity building, strategic partnership formation, lobbying and advocacy, life skills training, research and documentation on HIV & AIDS, (Orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) care and support)
? Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, food, psychosocial support, Poverty alleviation & Income Generating Activities (IGA)
? Smallholder agricultural support and market linkages and sustainable livelihoods options.
? Maranatha Aids Orphans Trust is operating in the district by giving support to 368 HIV orphaned children working with orphans in a family environment as a means of ensuring success and resilience building to the orphans and guardians
The participating 2 villages have been involved in development activities for years as in dam constructions, with NGOs and Government partnerships in the Give a dam Campaign. Other development engagements were on assets development with UNWFP, attempt to eradicated invader species like lanatana camara, and dairy development income generating projects. Other communities neighboring the two villages are distant beneficiaries to the wetlands especially at times of dry periods where all in the ward tend to benefit domestically, economically from these wetlands.
? The details of organizational capacities and profile are annexed.
Project Implementation
A Project Steering Committee (PSC) comprising all partners and coordinated by ZHLDT will be set up at Provincial level to provide oversight on the project. The PSC will meet every month during the first year, quarterly during the second & final year with annual project reviews, mid-term and final project evaluations.
Project management Committees will be established at Community beneficiary level.
The Project organizational structure
The Project organizational structure as an annex;

Project Steering Committee
Name of Organization Role/Responsibility
ZHLDT Lead Agency and collaboration in Livelihoods Development initiatives,
Maranatha Aids Orphans Care Trust Implementing CBO in collaboration with the community beneficiaries and other Stakeholders, Monitoring and Evaluation
ZELA (Zimbabwe Environnemental Law Association) Facilitate in environmental laws and legislation
Ministry of Local Government and Housing(Rural District Council) Governance, leadership, and Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation roles
Ministry of Women?s Affairs and Community Development Women?s leadership and Gender roles in Community Development
Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate (EMA) Natural resources awareness, environment and biodiversity conservation,
Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development (Agritex) Food security Extension, Irrigation development, Livestock growth
Ministry of Youth, Indigenization Youth development, empowerment
Forestry Commission woodlots and Agro forestry extension
ACHM (Africa Center For Holistic Management) Integrated Holistic Grazing, livestock and crop development catchment areas\
DP Foundation Training and capacity building on leadership transformation, conflict management, gender, HIV/AIDS
Local Business Community(LOCAL PP) Facilitate in the provision of projects inputs, & markets

Project Objectives and Expected Results

Problem Statement / Challenge the project intends to address
The wetlands forests, trees, plants and non timber/tree forest products in the catchment area of wetlands have important multiple functions and provide a wide range of forest goods and products that include forest foods (caterpillars, honey, mushrooms, wild fruits, bush meat etc), fodder, medicines, timber, other construction materials and firewood for energy which are critical to the livelihoods of poor rural communities. They also provide vital ecosystem services that include, soil and watershed protection, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration (sinking) that help in adapting and mitigating climate change that are compromised at the moment due to the degradation of these wetlands.
However the wetlands in the Ntunjanbili Village (Ntunjambili wetland) and Ngwabi wetland in Gulathi villages are being utilized without proper conservation strategies being employed by community members leading to their depletion and degradation. Other causalities of degradation over the years are due to perennial annual droughts,( attributed to climate changes, climate variability), as communities converge for basic water, food production, livestock grazing. Drastically reduced grazing biomass drive livestock to converge on these wetlands because of the invader species like lantana camara and lopholeona spiciformis that has taken over the grazing/grass spaces and other tree species. This has driven livestock numbers down and the remaining livestock graze solely on these wetlands.
Oral evidence from the communities indicates loss of bio diversity in some aquatic species in the form of amphibians, some birds? species like the ducks, which were very critically key in managing the bilharzia outbreaks, by the biological control of bilharzia snails, reptilian like guano lizards, snakes controlling the spread of rats to crops and grass species. Some of these species like the amphibians have gone to extinction in the dried wetlands. The catchent area of the wetlands is denuded of grass species cover and major aquatic plants of economic and aesthetic value have disappeared.
Overall project Goal / Primary Objective
The overall objective of the action is:
Improved bio diversity through conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, for livelihood enhancement.
The Specific Objectives include the following
Objective 1:To sensitize and mobilize community awareness on conserving biodiversity -This will be done through environmental education and community based training activities on importance of wetlands targeting ward 15 men, women, youths and other vulnerable communities. The other level is sensitization and awareness workshops for leadership at provincial, district, ward and concerned villages levels.
Objective 2: To advocate and lobby for local level Policy & Legal Framework Reform ? This involves support the development and implementation of policies and legal frameworks through the review of existing bye- laws.
Objective 3: To rehabilitate, protect degraded wetlands and improve biodiversity ? This will be done through fencing of the wetlands and introduction of Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM) model, through eradication of invader species.

Objective 4: To improve livelihoods and food security through sustainable use of wetlands
Increasing and diversify sources of livelihood incomes of rural populations through sustainable wetlands management of non-timber forest products (NTFP).

Objective 5: To protect biodiversity species
That include water plants, grasses species, amphibians, bird species, fish species, small mammals and trees species that were on the verge of extinction in the wetland

RATIONALE/JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT
Depletion of wetlands results in diversity loss caused largely by human impacts on fragile environments in ecological regions IV and V in regions like Matabeleland. Oral evidence is available from communities, rural leadership and Environmental institutions on the loss of the biodiversity of species ranging from grass, plant, tree, wild life species(impala, duickers, small antelopes, butterflies for amacimbi (madora) amphibians, some birds, reptiles like guano lizards, aquatic plants like reeds, palms.. Livestock has been reduced over a twenty year period from 40 to 50 herds of cattle to 5-10 herds per household and from 50 to 100 goats to 10 to 50 goats per household (Village Head Ntunjambili).
Wetlands are known for the provision of services to humanity that lessen environmental changes for example they also are great assets to climate change mitigation acting as carbon sinks (carbon sequestration) and maintaining the ecological balance. The ecosystem provides an aesthetic value of the environment around these wetlands.
Promotion of sustainable organic agriculture with integrated pest management and water resource management practices in wetland areas helps local communities to meet their food security and income generation for improved livelihoods. Improving fish farming, beekeeping and fruits orchards etc in the wetlands gardens provides social safety nets and an alternative source of other nutritious foods and income to this rural community, reducing food security shocks induced by climate change. The United Nations designated 2011 to 2020 as the UN decade on Bio diversity and building on the other international conventions on bio-diversity conservation.
Zimbabwe government adopted the 1971 Convention on Wet lands (Ramsar Convention) which promotes the conservationof wetlands throughout socio-economic development. It is an internationally legal binding treaty. In the Convention the following section refer to Wetlands; Section113; protection of wetlands
Section116; conservation of and access to biological diversity
Section117; access to conversation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge
The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization as the back bone to good governance and sustainable development. The Environment Legislative Framework in Zimbabwe is enshrined in the Environment Management Act 20:27 that capture most issues from the Global Conventions (complimenting other statutes.

TABLE 1: OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

OBJECTIVE 1:To sensitize and mobilize community awareness on conserving biodiversity

Activities relating to objective 1 Outputs (0-6months of completed activity) Outcome (1 year after completed activity)

1.1Environmental education campaign workshops and wetlands conservation
1.1 Community leadership with gained knowledge
Indicator; 166; women. Men, youths Community leadership & members applying wetlands conservation practices and improved wetlands conservation.
OBJECTIVE 2: To advocate and lobby for local level Policy & Legal Framework Reform

Activities relating to objective 2
Outputs
Outcomes
2.1Review of existing bye- laws.



2.2 Train Management Committees on advocacy & lobbying

2.1Desk study of existing environmental legislation
Indicator: 1 summary analysis report
2.2Mmanagement Committees with advocacy & lobbying skills
Indicator: 150 reached women, men, youths Document shared with Stakeholders


Management Committees successfully practicing advocacy & lobbying skills
OBJECTIVE 3: To rehabilitate, protect degraded wetlands and improve biodiversity

Activities relating to objective 3
Outputs
Outcomes
3.1 Fencing of the two wetlands


3.2Introduce Grazing planning and herding livestock

3.3Eradication of invader species
3.1Two wetlandsprotected
Indicator:5km length fenced
3.2Two catchment areas rehabilitated
Indicator : 50 ha planned
3.3Two catchment area cleared of invader species
Indicator:50 Ha cleared Revived of wetland ecosystem
Improved grazing area for livestock with a satisfied benefiting community

Livestock no longer grazing on wetlands
OBJECTIVE4:To improve livelihoods and food security through sustainable use of wetlands

Activities relating to objective 4
Outputs
Outcomes
4.1 Beekeeping / Apiculture training


4.2 Agro forestry and jatropha woodlots established in the two wetlands

4.3 Vegetables production reestablished

4.4 Market linkages & value chain training workshop 4.1 Establish beekeeping activities
Indicator: 100 beehives established
4.2 Groups of women & youths from the two
Indicator:1110 variety of trees planted,
4.3 500kg fresh organic vegetable per wk production
Indicator: 40 beneficiaries
4.4 30 individuals groups gain skills Improved primary production of non timber, forest products(NTFP) and livelihoods to participating individuals and groups

Small holder women and youths n future food security and nutrition & income
Improved livelihoods &vegetable production.& nutrition
Improved supply of quality goods to markets like supermarkets
Objective 5: To protect biodiversity species that include water plants, grasses species, amphibians, bird species, fish species, small mammals and trees species that were on the verge of extinction in the wetland

Activities relating to objective 5
Outputs
Outcomes
5.1 Training on biodiversity conservation




5.2 Monitoring state of Wetland conservation


5.3Monitoring of Invader species
5.1 men and women management committee members trained
Indicator: 10 women, 4men & 6 youths undergoing training
5.2 Eradication (water hyacinth)
Indicator: 50% of water weeds identified and destroyed periodically
5.3 50ha of catchment area cleared Selected Management members with knowledge on bio diversity conservation


Fresh water of wetland able to support aquatic life

Livestock and Community benefitting from improved grazing
Description of Project Activities
- Carry out base line survey - GPs mapping, wetlands catchment areas? land use, human and animal demographics, Biodiversity species inventory for wetlands wild life (flora and Fauna) presence and practices in the targeted areas in the Matobo district of Matabeleland South province
- Result Based Management (RBM) Frame work Model ? at the inception ZHLDT will facilitate training for Maranatha personnel and Stakeholders on RBM as a tool to be used in the management, implementation on results logic, monitoring and evaluation.
- Review wetlands related policies, legislation and institutional arrangements to support community concerns on Protection of wetlands and biodiversity conservation -
- Organize Environmental education campaign workshops/awareness workshops on wetlands, forest and protection of bio diversity to the local RDC ?
- Train Community leadership on Governance and Common Resource Management ?Establish Management Committees
- Establish Sustainable Wetlands Protection and Management plans- the plans form the basic and initial understanding of wetlands environs.
- Increase community resilience to livelihoods shocks through honey, fruits and vegetables production for food security and household income ?
- Conduct look and learn tours