1. Project Summary

The proposed project, Integrated Biodiversity Conservation (IBC) Strategy is going to be implemented under Manjolo ward (7) in Binga district. The District falls under ecological region 5, with maximum temperatures of 40oC (mean = 28oC), with largely non-arable soils. The region is generally dry, rich in Wildlife, and predominantly inhabited by the BaTonga people. Manjolo is at home with four wetlands, rivers, diverse animals, and plants species. The lion (Panthera leo), African elephants (Loxodota Africana), Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and leopard (Panthera pardus), forage in the area, on their transit the Hwange-Sanyathi biological corridor. Despite this being rich in biodiversity, Binga District has high exposure to natural disasters and low adapting capacity, and depends largely on wild fruits, water course cultivation and fishing, for survival. The tree species in Manjolo, such as the Dyospiros mespiliformis (nkula), Berchemia Zeyheri (nyii), and Tamarind indica (busiikka), are locally exploited for livelihoods. 1 701 households in the ward draw livelihoods from wetlands through the cultivation of vegetables. They sell vegetables at Manjolo Growth Point, Binga town, and to intercity travelers, and manage to pay school fees, health bills, and provide their families with food and clothes. Manjolo wetlands which used to sustain 325 households, are degrading, and likely to cease in less than 10 years if not protected, rehabilitated, and conserved. Anthropogenic activities in and around the wetlands are driving and accelerating the degradation of the resource. Activities such as uncontrolled entry of cattle, digging of water canals and wells in the wetlands are destroying the spongy layer of the wetlands. The degradation of the wetlands is threatening the livelihoods of more than 325 households, species diversity in the wetlands, and the future of more than 925 school-going age is at stake. SEWA, through the IBC Strategy, proposes to protect the Manjolo wetlands by fencing and rehabilitating them, and building the capacity of the community to conserve the wetlands so that the community continues to draw life-long benefits (livelihoods, health, and education for children) from the resource while maintaining its well-being. The $50 000.00 grant being requested from GEFSGP is meant to assist the Manjolo community to achieve the following:

Primary objective
The IBC Strategy seeks to improve the conservation status of Manjolo wetlands and promote their sustainable utilization for improved ecosystems climate resilience and adaptation.

Project objectives
(a) To increase access to adequate and clean water by drilling and installing a solar-powered borehole benefitting 198 households within the first 9 months.

Outcomes
(i) Increased access to adequate and clean water, leading to improved health and hygiene
(ii) Improved livelihoods and family incomes, leading to improved gender equality, improved access to education and better quality of life





2. Project Justification and Baseline
2.1 Problem Analysis:


Degradation of Manjolo wetlands Manjolo wetlands have significantly degraded and this situation is threatening the livelihoods of 325 households, and the freshwater ecology of the wetlands.

The causes of this problem are deforestation, uncontrolled livestock entry into the wetlands, unsustainable cultivation in the wetlands and catchment areas, brick molding, and the inflow of plastic waste from the Manjolo growth point. The cultivation of crops along water sources is a common and historic economic practice among the BaTonga people. They used to cultivate crops all year round along the Zambezi River bank and were food sufficient. They guarded the river jealously and identified with it, as it was their major source of livelihood and a buffer against natural disaster-related shocks. Following the construction of the Kariba Lake in 1957, the BaTonga were displaced to mountainous and dry lands, infested with tsetse fly (Glossina). Their livelihoods were submerged in water, and the livestock they had managed to rescue later died due to trypanosomiasis disease, which is transmitted by the tsetse fly. They were dispossessed of their bankable land and connectivity to their river god, Simwaaba. Despite promises by the government to compensate the victims, to date, they have not been compensated and have not recovered from their socio-economic losses. Today, they depend largely on watercourses such as wetlands, rivers, and aquifers for livelihoods.

In 1976, a 1.6 km perimeter of the wetlands was fenced but the fence was destroyed following the liberation struggle. The Late Chief Binga, whose palace was near the Manjolo wetlands, provided the security of the resource by prohibiting human interference with the area. The wetlands were sacred. Unfortunately, in 1978 he fled the place for safety. People then tore the fence to hide from the Rhodesian fighters. Since then, the cattle have been trampling the wetlands closing water pores and people encroached into the wetlands for cultivation.

Five years ago, the Environment Management Agency (EMA) had demarcated cultivation areas and set buffers of 30m from the wetlands within which cultivation activities were prohibited to protect wetlands. Culprits were to be fined US$200 or face imprisonment. Currently, 66 gardens are within the buffer zones but none of the culprits have been fined or imprisoned. The continued degradation of the wetland, lack of capacity by EMA to continuously shift buffers in tandem with dwindling water levels, lack of an alternative solution to depreciated water volume, and limited awareness on environmental laws is leading to unsustainably use the Manjolo wetlands. Policy dialogues, education, and training on environmental policies and management will help the residents of Manjolo to take the lead in looking after their wetlands and other natural heritage.

Farmers cultivate vegetables in the wetlands, they dig wells and canals to drive the little water from the wetlands to their gardens. Those who cannot access the available water, either shift into the wetlands or stop crop cultivation and resort to brick molding as an alternative. These activities are overwhelming the wetlands and are shrinking them. If enough water is provided from underground, channeled to their gardens and livestock, farmers will stop making canals and shifting into the wetlands in search of water or damp areas. This will reduce the load on the wetlands and give time for them to rejuvenate. The upstream unsustainable cultivation activities in the wetlands catchment due to lack of knowledge on conservative farming, is increasing gullies and if not controlled the wetland will silt and ease. Training the community on conservative farming and gully reclamation will empower them to adopt environment conservation and take action to rehabilitate degraded habitats.

The uncontrolled access to the wetlands by livestock and deforestation in and around the wetlands, which is being driven by 198 farmers who are cutting trees yearly to get poles for fencing their gardens in the wetlands, are the other causes of wetland degradation. If the wetlands are fenced using a diamond mesh, the animal will be deterred, and farmers will stop cutting trees around the wetlands this will then increase natural forest regeneration, reduce soil erosion, recuperate the wetlands, and increase species diversity. Though the use of a barbed wire is a cheaper option, goats, pigs and wild animals such as the hares and bucks will snick through the barbed wire and destroy vegetables. So farmers will continue to fence their gardens with poles. Once the wetlands are fenced with the diamond mesh, garden boundaries will be made using edible hedging. This will increase conservation value.

The molding and firing of the mud brick kilns in the wetlands are increasing water usage (than can be supplied by the wetlands), evaporation, deforestation (firewood for kilns), and land degradation. The brisk mud brick-molding industry is done mainly by those who would have stopped vegetable cultivation due to water shortage. Reclaiming deforested areas in the wetlands by planting fruit trees such as mangoes which do well under the Binga climate. After 3-4 years, the farmers would then produce fruit juices and sell them to local hotels, lodges, and markets, and move away from mud brick molding. This will then reduce land degradation, cutting of trees, and increase the value of conserving Manjolo wetlands.

The use of pesticides to control pests and fertilizers to increase yields kills species such as pollinators, seed dispersers, and recruiters, negatively affects livestock productivity and human health. Fertilizers alter wetlands' physicochemical properties and promote highly competitive species such the blue and green algae which then outcompete other species and reduce species richness and diversity. The farmers are not aware of such negative impacts of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. If farmers are made aware of the negative impact of using inorganic fertilizers and chemical methods of controlling pests, trained on the used cultural (i.e. crop rotation and biological methods (such as pest repellant plants and eaters) of pest control and organic fertilizers (i.e. composite manure), they will change, adopt best environmental practices, and improve species diversity in the wetlands.

Disused plastic waste from the Manjolo growth point flows into the wetlands, Lokola River, and finally into Lake Kariba. These plastics degrade the wetlands, and water quality kills livestock and aquatic animals when swallowed or through the release of micro-plastic chemicals. Two years ago, EMA installed two 2 rubbish bins at the growth point. However, the rubbish bins are worn out and are being overwhelmed by the number of disused plastics. Raising awareness of the negative impacts of plastics, training people on alternative methods of managing waste, and installing a waste segregation unit will intercept large amounts of plastic waste from the environment.
Currently, each farmer is growing mainly two vegetable cultivars that are tomatoes and rape. Binga town residents acquire vegetables such as beans, onions, green paper, beetroot, cucumbers, and many more from Bulawayo. These farmers have limited access to these cultivars. If assisted with the seeds for these cultivars, they will generate more income for the families and the project sustenance after the funding is over. Growing a mix of vegetables can also reduce pests and increase recruitment.
Proposed interventions
(a) To increase access to adequate and clean water by drilling and installing a solar-powered borehole benefitting 198 households within the first 9 months.
SEWA through the IBC-Strategy, proposes to install a solar-powered borehole. The borehole will support farmers with water for gardening, watering livestock, and clean water for drinking and lessening pressure on the wetlands, increasing chances of rejuvenation of the wetlands. A 10Kl reservoir tank will be installed. Plumbing of the main pipeline of the size 75mm PVC piping will be laid in each group garden, connective a water reservoir in each group garden. The pipeline will be reduced to 25mm galvanized steel pipe for community water taps to supply the community with clean water. 198 farmers will be supported with vegetable seeds to meet the local market demand.

(b) To protect, rehabilitate and conserve 13 hectares of Manjolo wetlands, reclamation degraded land in and around the wetlands, and increase the capacity of the community members to conserve biodiversity within the first 11 months
The wetland will be fenced using diamond mesh wire. The community members will be trained on land reclamation, tree planting, and landscape land and waterscape maintenance. The farmers will plant trees in the wetland to reclaim the deforested areas. The gullies on the dam wall and uplands of the wetlands will be reclaimed using gabions, vetiver grass, and tree cuttings. Farmers will be trained on conservation farming through the use of organic manure and the making of composite manure. Demarcating boundaries within group gardens will make use of edible hedging as opposed to using poles from the regenerating forests. The community will come up with rules and regulations to best manage the wetlands.

(c) To promote wetlands management through strengthening waste management and environmental policy awareness in the Manjolo community within the first 20 months
The proposed intervention is to build a solid waste segregator and raise awareness of the need to keep the environment free from plastics and to reuse the plastics through nurseries and other innovative ways. To manage chemical waste from pesticides farmers will be trained in crop rotation, intercropping, using herbs, and preparation of plant extracts. The community will be educated through dialogues on environmental policies and the importance of observing these policies in line with natural resources management best practices.

d) To increase community and stakeholder project buy-in and participation, and promote project sustainability through project awareness and impact management planning within the first 23 months.
To attain this objective, SEWA will engage the community, Binga Rural District Council (BRDC), Department of Agriculture (Agritex), Forest Commission (FC) and EMA through inception meetings to obtain their project support and participation. The project decommissioning meeting will be held where IBC-Strategy impact suitability plans will be mapped, adopted, and ratified for implementation.
See SEWA Annex 1.pdf document.

Direct Causes Indirect Causes
1. Unsustainable agricultural activities.
2. Deforestation in the catchment areas.
3. Cultivation in wetlands
4. Soil erosion,
5. chemical pollutants from gardens
6. Lack of resilient water, income, and food sources.
7. Increase in the use of plastic packaging.
8. Brick molding in the wetlands
9. The wetlands are unprotected 1. Lack of capacity to protect the fresh sources.
2. Low participation of communities in community-based natural resources management (CNRM)
3. Farmers are not trained in conservation farming.
4. Community not aware of the value of protecting the wetlands
5. Lack of public awareness of environmental policies.
6. Communities have limited access to alternative and sustainable sources of water.


Contribution of IBC Strategy to SPG Country Strategy and Relevant Programmes

Contribution to SPG country strategy
SGP?s strategy is an integrated approach at a landscape level, which involves conserving biodiversity and natural resources, at the same time promoting the livelihoods of the communities around the conservation priority areas, by offering practical solutions to nature conservation challenges. IBC Strategy will enhance livelihoods of the Manjolo community and promote management of the freshwater sources. The project will promote community stewardship over the natural resource heritage.
GEF Supported projects
IBC Strategy is aware of the Siamuloba Ecotourism in the Simatelele ward (2016-2017) implemented by Zubo Trust, is well noted. IBC Strategy will develop synergies and complement the implemented project by increasing the area of influence and in turn, the success of the current project will promote health and sustainable freshwater sources and improve well-being for all. IBC Strategy notes the ongoing inter-district project, the Hwange-Sanyathi Biological Corridor Enhancement being implemented by Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) -TFCA, supported by GEF and UNDP. The proposed project is located within the KAZA-TFCA area and the success of this project will reduce illegal wildlife activities and promote biodiversity.
Government Supported projects
In Binga District, the government is supporting pollution reduction programmes. The programme is being implemented by EMA, under National Clean-up Campaign, and is mainly addressing solid waste management. IBC Strategy will be complementary to this program, by addressing chemical pollution from fertilizers and pesticides.
Other Donors Supported projects
The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) project being implemented by CIRAD in Sinakoma and Mucheni wards is reconciling wildlife conservation issues with those of food security in a set of socio-ecosystems, wetlands, and savannah, The IBC Strategy will be complementary to SWM, by increasing the area of impact by covering the Manjolo ward which is not being covered by SWM.



3. Project Goal, Objectives, Activities, Outputs, and Outcomes
Please describe the project framework and implementation plan by completing Table 1 below:
a) Overall Goal/Primary Objective: The proposed project should include an environmental objective, along with a development/livelihood objective as relevant.
b) Specific objectives: List all objectives to be addressed by the project
c) Activities: List all activities to be implemented per objective
d) Project Outputs: Please describe measurable changes which will have occurred by the end of the project as a result of the planned intervention (e.g. XX hectares of community management conservation area established. XX community members are trained and improved on waste management).
e) Project Outcome: Please describe what will be produced as project results, in terms of changes in the institutional and behavioral capacities, changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, policies, livelihoods, and environmental conditions.
(For this section, please complete the Results Framework Table below)