BACKGROUND

Gutu Wetland protection project is located in ward 8 of Murewa District in Mashonaland East Province. Ward 8 has a total population 18 300 people and is considered the second poorest in the district with regards to poverty classification in terms of food supply. In Gutu village itself there are 61 households with a total population of 475 people. The wetland in Gutu village is strategically positioned as it provides the source of water from the Urah River.

OUTPUTS
1) One wetland that is 6 hectares in extent rehabiliated and protected by end of July in 2007 for the betterment of the biodiversity status and livelihoods of Gutu community
2) 8 workshops conducted on building the capacity of Gutu community to rehabilitate and protect their wetland
3) One exchange visit carried out to visit Maplan and Dufuya which are some of the best practice cases on wetland rehabilitation and protection.
4) Baseline survey conducted on Gutu village and the wetland ecosystem to provide information on the current status of the wetland.
5) 1000 fruit trees planted in the wetland, together with sugar cane and other horticultural crops.

OUTCOMES
1) Improved biodiversity through community conservation, rehabilitation work and indigenous tree species and fruit trees.
2) Increased environmental awareness and knowledge among participating community members on the importance of wetlands, water harvesting and conservation techniques and soil conservation.
3) Food security enhanced through production of herbs, horticultural crops, sugar cane and fruit trees

IMPACT
Improved biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna in the wetland ecosystem. Quality of life enhanced due to improved access to fresh water from the wetlands improved food security. Wetland restored.




















The major problem that is rampant in Gutu is the extensive environmental degradation and ecosystem deterioration resulting in the drying up and extinction of the wetlands. This has reduced the people's livelihood options as water has become scarce resulting in low productivity levels. Continued deterioration of this wetland threatens the continued flowing of Urah river. It is aggainst this background that the community is therefore sourcing funds to protect the wetland and ensure that it becomes economically viable and assist in the regeneration of water in Urah river which is a major source of water for both livestock and horticultural production.

In addition, the other problem is streambank cultivation as most of the individual gardens are sited along the stream. This has resulted in siltation of the river and again needs to be addressed.

The project seeks to improve the wetland ecosystem in Gutu village through integrated catchment protection for biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement. The specific objectives include the following:

i) To protect one wetland measuring 6 hectares by end of July 2007
ii) To build the capacity of Gutu village community to manage the wetlands in a sustainable manner
iii) To improve the biodiversity status through agro-forestry and enrichment planting
iv) To improve the livelihoods of the community through fruit production and horticultural activities in the protected wetlands


In terms of project outcome the project will result in improved biodiversity through community conservation efforts resulting in increased plant varieties, increased surface water flow as a result of the rise in the water table and and increase in acquatic life that resides in wetlands.

Overally, in terms of impact the project will result in improved biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna in the wetlands ecosystem together with sustainable access to fresh water leading to livelihood improvement.