Community Oriented Watershed Management gorta’s approach
Children from the Wayaworr village sit on the slopes of the Wayaworr water storage dam. In 2008 the existing excavation was rehabilitated as a water storage facility through the ADWAC- gorta partnership. The lake is a deliberate catchment of rainwater and is used for water for livestock; irrigation for tree planting in the catchment area; and the recharging of groundwater which benefits wells in the surrounding villages. Â
gorta’s vision is a world where there is no hunger and where the poorest communities have the means to create a prosperous future for themselves and their children. As a non-governmental organisation (NGO) our approach to development centres on enhancing local communities’ capacity and capability to move towards the achievement of prosperity.
Providing Water for Life Today, Protecting Water for Livelihoods Tomorrow
Agriculture accounts for around 70% of global freshwater withdrawals (reaching up to 90% in some fast-growing economies). (United Nations World Water Development Report, 2012)
During the second half of the 20th century, world population had a twofold increase, agriculture doubled food production and developing countries increased per capita food consumption by 30 percent. However, while feeding the world and producing a diverse range of non-food crops such as cotton, rubber and industrial oils in an increasingly productive way, agriculture also confirmed its position as the biggest user of water on the globe. Irrigation now claims close to 70 percent of all freshwater appropriated for human use. With increased competition for water and improved attention to environmental issues, new forms of water management in agriculture, including watershed management need to be explored. (FAO, 2012)
Over the period to 2050 the world’s water will have to support the agricultural systems that will feed and create livelihoods for an additional 2.7 billion people. By 2025, 1,800 million people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions. (Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO), 2012)
The broad natural resource management concept, of which water is a pillar, aims to provide solutions to these challenges and in particular to: • Degradation of natural forests due to excessive logging (used for the sale of charcoal, firewood collection for domestic use, curing tobacco or burning bricks, construction timber etc); • Clearing of forest and thicket areas to provide cultivation land due to increasing population pressure; • Severe soil degradation due to improper management (slash and burn practices, intensive tillage through ridging and mono cropping); • Depletion of pasture or rangeland resources due to over-grazing; • Cultivation on ecologically sensitive areas such as deep slopes, riparian areas and mangrove estuaries, due to land pressure; • Reduced soil fertility due to soil and wind erosion and poor soil management practices;
• Limited resort to rainfall harvesting and storage (in reservoirs and in situ) due to lack of awareness and knowledge; • Depletion of ground and surface water resources due to the above mentioned points.
We have no food crisis. We have a poverty crisis, we have an environmental crisis, and we have a nutrition crisis. (Professor Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, 2011)
All these factors interlace and affect each other. There is a recognised need to further invest in the conservation of natural ecosystems and their biodiversity as key elements in determining local solutions to current and rising challenges, building smallholder farmers’ resilience to shocks and thus contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• Mismanagement of communal areas (forests, riparian land, gullies, water sources) due to limited sense of ownership that is rooted in the land’s customary or national tenure system; • Limited rainfall which becomes more erratic and scarce;
Mamsamba Joof, Executive Director of ADWAC, and Ron Rosen, Water Management Specialist (gorta), at the Kanakanang Dala pond constructed in 2009 through the ADWAC- gorta partnership.
To secure food for everybody, we first need to secure water. (FAO 2012)
The Mwemunta water source provides water to the Tujitu farmer group near Tewe Village in the Korogwe District of Tanzania. The irrigation canal was established in 1958 by the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) which now, through the support  of gorta, plans to construct a storage dam on site that will increase the irrigation area.
The Tujitu farmer group currently consists of 15 women and 15 men. The group aims to expand its membership to other smallholder farmers in the area once the storage dam has been constructed.
It is essential that development responses focus
Agriculture must have nutrition goals in mind,
on local food systems as they are key in building
and food-based approaches will need to be
local resilience to environmental threats and
part of the equation for sustainable nutrition
natural disasters. With evidence stressing the
security. (Dr. Jessica Fanzo, Monitoring and
importance of nutrition within the agricultural
Evaluation Nutrition Officer, REACH – World Food
approach, particularly for women of child bearing
Programme, 2011)
age and for children under two years of age, the need to establish sustainable and diversified diets is greater than ever.
The link between food security and water is evident though the use of water in agriculture and food production. Currently, farming and
Sustainable diets are healthy diets but also
crop production for food and biofuels, accounts
diets compatible with sustainable environment
for almost 70% of the total water used globally,
management and also with socially sound
meaning agriculture is the largest human use of
development. (Florence Egal, Senior Officer,
water (FAO, 2011). It is with this in mind that gorta
Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods,
is increasing its focus on watershed and water
Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division,
resource management.
FAO, 2011) gorta promotes the use of agro-forestry and conservation agriculture while establishing links to agricultural biodiversity as one solution to nutrition security, as it gives both the food producers and consumers access to greater dietary diversity.
Local farmer from Nawleru village surveys the Kanakanang Dala pond.
A Watershed Management Approach A watershed is defined as a geographical area that drains the water within its boundaries into one exit point. The watershed management approach clusters communities and villages in a watershed area to manage the water resources collectively. The farmers in these communities cultivate adjacent fields and inevitably affect each other when it comes to utilizing streams, controlling soil erosion and harvesting rainwater runoff. A water storage dam recently constructed in Vudee village, Tanzania, by the community with support from SAIPRO.
The watershed approach practiced by gorta’s partners brings together up-stream and downstream communities to plan and manage the water resources as part of a broad natural resource conservation approach. Other livelihood activities, which are complementary to these ‘backbone’ interventions, take into consideration the need to: • Support livelihoods through the promotion of improved agriculture practices, including forestry (used to improve soil fertility, control erosion and provide fire wood), improved access to markets and income generating activities (such as bee-keeping, rearing small ruminants and aquaculture). • Mainstream gender and address the challenges of HIV/AIDS pandemic as a cross-cutting issue. • Ensure participatory processes include all stakeholders, such as the relevant communities, local authorities, local leadership, and government officials. The process begins with problem identification and analysis, providing alternative solutions and designing the programme in consideration of the indigenous knowledge, priorities and available resources. • Develop a programme implementation strategy that prioritizes capacity development through training, exchange visits, knowledge sharing and self evaluation by the implementing partner and communities.
gorta’s Approach to Watershed Management Water is often used in gorta’s programming approach as an entry point for implementing other diverse livelihood interventions. Women are frequently left with the burden of fetching water daily from remote water points, which leaves them with little or no time to engage in other productive activities. Prioritizing access to water can ultimately result in reduced labour and increased time and energy to pursue other livelihood initiatives. gorta’s support to communities in the past consisted of the provision of boreholes, shallow wells, irrigation equipment and water storage facilities, such as tanks and dams. Combined with training and the development of management skills, these interventions delivered positive impacts to communities, farmer groups and individuals. The results achieved primarily were improved access to drinking water, reduced time and effort in fetching water from remote places and increased adoption rate of irrigation practices by small holder farmers. They also enhanced income generation potential, improved nutrition due to diversification of meals and increased children’s school attendance due to a reduced need for them to assist in water fetching tasks. Since 2008, gorta has broadened its approach to include the more holistic practices of watershed management and water resource management. gorta analyses water interventions as part of a broader framework that looks at environmental conservation and livelihood strategies. This approach raises community awareness on the need to consider water as a resource that can be depleted and requires conservation, and to protect their natural resources and broadly adapt to the effects of climate change and global
warming at the village level. These effects have been experienced on multiple water resources levels such as rainfall, the surface water levels of streams and dams and the depletion of ground water levels. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, testimonies indicate that rainfall has become unpredictable, its distribution is erratic and water resources are declining, all of which have negative impacts on rural communities. For smallholder farmers who depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture as their main source of livelihood, the depletion of water resources and the uncertainty of rainfall is devastating. At the household level, fetching domestic water requires more time and effort, and its poor quality creates severe health hazards and illness. The decrease in rainwater quantity and its unreliable pattern often result in the loss of food production and frequent crop failure.
my family to drink water, my ‘‘For daughter and I have to wake up at 4am, walk 3km each way, daily to the water pond. We queue for 2-3 hours to collect about 40 litres of water. We have reduced on bathing and washing clothes.
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Dyna Moyo from Mangena Village in Zambia. Prior to the implementation of gorta’s watershed management programmes, two exchange visits to a project in Ethiopia, supported by Irish Aid and University College Cork, took place in 2007 and 2009. gorta partners from The Gambia and Zambia, accompanied by gorta staff, visited the Gergera Integrated Watershed Management Project in Tigray. Irish Aid began supporting the regional government in Tigray to carry
405,000 Seedlings are raised in two nurseries in the micro watershed of Chitilira and Mtaya in Zambia prior to their planting: Varieties included Senna siamea, Albizia lebbeck, Acacia policantha, Grilicidia sepium, Moringa, Khaya nyasica, Toona cilliata and Eucalyptus. Trees are planted by dams in order to conserve the top soil and to reduce rainwater runoff, thus contributing to increased water harvesting.
out irrigation and other regional development projects in 1994. By 1998 the Gergera Integrated Watershed Management Project was inaugurated and in the first three years it covered an area of 550 hectares of land and has since expanded through community initiatives. The project demonstrated that an area which is experiencing land degradation, low productivity and poverty can be transformed through such a well planned intervention which brings about concrete changes to local communities. This experience has also helped inform the Ethiopian Government’s national productive safety nets programme, a social protection initiative that has a strong environmental focus. With the Ethiopian government’s ongoing efforts to move to a climate resilient and green economy (CRGE) there is likely to be a continued and increased national policy interest and focus on watershed management. As in the case of the project design demonstrated in Tigray, both the preparation phase and the implementation process for the programmes in Zambia and the Gambia required considerable attention. Being a long-term approach, the baseline and advanced monitoring systems were specially designed to address the complexity of implementing a diverse range of interventions. Multidisciplinary technical expertise was required and close collaboration with government extension services was encouraged to foster sustainability and support a future exit strategy.
A gorta Case Study: Zambia Since 2007 gorta has been supporting its partner, the Community Oriented Development Programme (CODEP) in Zambia through a number of livelihood interventions. CODEP is working with rural communities in Chiparamba area, approximately 37km North of Chipata town in the Eastern province of Zambia. In partnership with gorta, interventions implemented by CODEP between 2007-2009 included two agriculture recovery projects in 21 villages and a HIV/AIDS support project in 40 villages, equipping the local health centre with a CD4 counting machine and bicycle ambulances for patients. In 2009, 19 boreholes were drilled in Chiparamba sub-location in the Eastern province, which addressed the drinking water scarcity, catering for 7,350 people in 21 villages.
used to walk long distances to draw water, but with the drilling ‘‘ Women of boreholes in the villages, women no longer wake up at dawn or walk long distances to fetch water. We drink clean and safe water from our village borehole.
’’
Ester Moyo of Cimala Village.
For each borehole, a water committee was established and trained in the sustainable operation and management of the system to ensure its long-term use and their technical ability in maintaining the water pump. The water committee is responsible for collecting water user fees which are then saved and used for carrying out future repairs. A baseline study conducted in 2009 led the communities, CODEP and gorta to design a watershed management programme; and a biophysical survey carried out later that year assisted in prioritizing the interventions. The programme design addressed primarily the problem of soil erosion that led to the loss of productive agricultural land as well as a decrease in ground water levels and caused periodic flooding in the villages.
the past, before we started the gully rehabilitation, my field used to be ‘‘ Inflooded heavily but now the problem is no longer there because of the check dams constructed. ’’ Chiwata Mbewe from Mphindila village shares his experience.
Conserving the Soils and Harvesting Water Addressing the soil erosion problem included three major interventions: the construction of dozens of gabion check dams which aim to rehabilitate the gullies on the hill slopes; the construction of stone terraces that are aligned along the contour lines and are expected to increase silt accumulation and enhance ground water recharge; and finally, the planting of trees to conserve the top soil and assist in reducing rainwater speed, thus contributing to increased water harvesting on the hill slopes.
Women from Mphindila village participated in carrying stones for the construction of a gabion check dam near their village in Chipata District, Zambia.
Community-led Interventions So far, 81 gabion check dams have been constructed to rehabilitate four major gullies in Chitilira and Mtayo sub-catchments and its tributaries. Nine hundred and ten pitch-stones have been placed in the tributaries of the main gullies and in emerging gullies to slow down the progress of soil erosion covering an area of 38.8 hectares. The village level watershed committees, elected in the sub-catchment locations, have the responsibility of implementing, monitoring and evaluating the programme. They are also responsible for coordinating the daily work of hundreds of farmers on site and documenting the progress made. The programme’s intensive labour efforts in carrying stones, digging trenches and constructing check dams and terraces is supported by the members of the different communities in the villages of the sub-catchment. At the initial stage, 3,210 men and 1,637 women came to work at the site; such strong community motivation has resulted in a large flow of volunteers from the neighbouring villages. Participatory village-level maps, produced during the early stages of the programme, identified the topographic layout of the area, combined with the specific intervention sites that
The gabion check dam contributes to reducing soil erosion and rehabilitating the gully in Mtaya gully near Chiweza village, Chipata District, Zambia.
are planned according to the survey results and the programme action plan. These maps are updated periodically to monitor the progress of the erosion mitigation efforts and to record the impact of reduced soil erosion at specific sites. The watershed committees are responsible for monitoring the stability of the existing infrastructure as well as identifying emerging gullies and sensitive erosion points that require immediate attention before erosion spreads further at these sites.
heavy stones that I carry on my head for check dam construction are ‘‘ The breaking my back and the distances where I collect them are long. I am not able to do any house chores when I get back home. However, I know that the benefits will be great in the near future. Ireen Mwale from Chiweza village, Chipata District recalls.
’’
Impact Already, signs of reduced erosion, monitored during the rainy season, are visible on the walls of the gabion check dams. At sites close to the summit, silt accumulation reached as high as 101 and 173 centimetres at the upstream side of the gabion check dams in Chitilira and Mtaya gullies, respectively. Periodic measuring of the ground water levels indicate a significant recovery compared to previous years and flooding incidences in the villages have ceased since 2011. Efforts are being made to replace the common practice of “slash and burn” by promoting composting and improving soil fertility through intercropping. Other livelihood activities that complement the soil and water conservation efforts include forestry, the provision of latrines, rearing of small ruminants, micro credit, bee-keeping, training in small entrepreneurship and establishing cooperatives. To date, 405,000 trees have been planted in various wood lots, 80 latrines were constructed in 5 villages, 200 goats were provided to 25 farmer groups, 35 village-level micro credit schemes have been established and two cooperatives have been registered and commenced operations. The market structure, which is at an early stage of construction in the sub-urban area of the catchment, will assist in the marketing of local agricultural produce and provide opportunities to engage with potential markets in the near town of Chipata, capital of the Eastern Province. This long-term development plan is intended to continue in the same catchment, to cover the entire area and extend to the neighbouring communities.
CODEP participant collects building material for the Watershed Management Programme near Chipata, Zambia.
A gorta Case Study: The Gambia In the Gambia, gorta has been working with a local NGO, the Agency for the Development of Women and Children (ADWAC), since 2002. In the past, interventions included an agriculture recovery programme, micro credit schemes, training in gender mainstreaming, poultry farming, animal husbandry and building village assets through the provision of milling machines. The implementation of the integrated watershed management programme, which involves diverse water-related activities, commenced in 2007 in the Njaba Kunda eco-zone of the North Bank Region. The reclamation of agricultural land has taken place through the construction of 4.5km of salty water retention dykes, resulting in over 200 hectares of land being made cultivable by 364 women who increased their rice production by 70 percent in 2011.
Communities at Work
Weaving a gabion box in Chamen village in Njabba Kunda, the Gambia, provides locally manufactured boxes which are used to reduce soil erosion in nearby gullies.
vertiva planted is not only providing stabilization for the bunds, but ‘‘The serves as animal feed and local medicine. ’’ Ali Jalllow of Nawleru.
In most developing countries the task of collecting water falls to the women. Prior to the construction of the dyke, women in the Njaba Kunda eco-zone used to migrate to cultivate remote rice fields, which required an 8km walk each way, in order to provide for their families. Their only way of crossing the Gambia River was by wading through water, often shoulderhigh, at the river estuaries. The water frequently carried waterborne diseases and the women would get cuts and bruises on their feet from the river-bed. The distance to their rice fields required a 16km walk per day, and during the harvest period women used to spend between two and three months in the fields to ensure their crops were well protected. Moreover, as they slept in open sheds in extremely basic conditions, their security was a major threat and exposure to malaria took its toll, with frequent cases reported. This temporary migration of women, leaving their families behind, lasted the entire four months of the cropping season.
am responsible for recording and assessing disaster victims in these ‘‘Icommunities. Our biggest disaster in the past rainy season was the collapse of houses as a result of flood. The flood used to carry farm produce, cooking utensils and small ruminants. Thank God, this year I have not received a single report of any house collapsing. The contour bunds have really functioned effectively.
’’
Mamadou Njie is the Ward councillor and citizen of Ker Pateh.
used to walk 8km going to the rice fields – that in itself is a burden. ‘‘We Working in the fields and walking another 8km is indeed a journey to the sick bed. That’s why we are not healthy. Now we walk 300 metres and we are in the rice fields. Over 90% of farmers in Kinteh Kunda and Marong Kunda don’t buy rice now for 12 months, thanks to the construction of the dyke.
’’
Jula Tunkara is the chairperson of the Dyke management Committee. The construction of 14.5km of water diversion contour bunds has stopped the incidence of flooding in the Nawleru and Kerr Pateh villages and has reduced the annual flood risk for over 60 households in the lowlands. These contour bunds have diverted the water to a depression area where future plans will be to recycle it for agriculture production. The diversion has reduced soil erosion and increased the volume of water diverted to the ponds for cattle drinking. It has also improved the vegetation cover through regeneration of natural trees around the ponds of Wayaworr and Kankanang Dala.
Modoulamin Saho cycles by the ADWAC-gorta programme site in Marong Kunda, the Gambia.
The 14 million litres water storage dam near Wayaworr village in Njaba Kunda, The Gambia, provides water to approximately 1200 cattle during the four months of the dry season. Since the construction of the dam, there has been a reduction in the number of conflicts over access to water sources between farmers and herdsmen.
One of the spillways in the 4.5km retention dyke is used to control the salt intrusion near Marong Kunda village in Njaba Kunda, the Gambia. The rehabilitation of 200 hectares has supported the production of an extra 100,000kg of rice grown by 300 women.
Capacity Building and Technical Support A grader provided by gorta successfully carried out the earthworks for the contour bunds. Training in the operation and maintenance of the heavy machinery was provided to ensure that this activity will be sustainable in the long-term. Technical support is offered by gorta’s technical team with the collaboration of an agriculture engineer from Senegal who has provided on-going support and makes periodic visits. These activities are similar to the interventions carried out in Senegal by international donors, including USAID and the World Bank. There the construction of two water storage dams, with a capacity of 14 million litres of water, has resulted in reduced conflicts between herdsmen and farmers, and reduced damage to crops due to improved cattle tracks from the dams to other water resources.
my district 80% of conflicts I address are related to cases between ‘‘Infarmers and cattle owners regarding grazing and drinking points. Thanks to the re-demarcation of the cattle tracks, since 2010 I have never arbitrated any case of such related conflicts.
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Chief Momodou Kentang Dibba of Central Baddibu District of Njaba Kunda.
The programme involved training community members in Chamen village in the manual construction of gabion boxes required for the reinforcement of the check dams. Consequently, the limited availability of these boxes in the country and their high cost, are no longer constraints to the earthwork required for the soil conservation interventions. Other livelihood aspects of the integrated watershed management programme include: water harvesting through the construction of half moons; establishment wood lots; micro credit schemes in 10 villages; rearing of small ruminants, such as sheep and poultry; and income generation activities through food processing and marketing, and processing of ground nuts and millet by village cooperatives.
the women of Njonen, are no more burdened with the use of mortar ‘‘We, and pestle. While we save labour to do other economic activities, we also generate an income from the use of the milling machine. ’’ Mallah Jallow President of Njonen Women group.
Mallah Jallow, President of the Njonen Women group in Njonen village, the Gambia.
A gorta Case Study: Tanzania The Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) has been a partner of gorta since 2008 in Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and other livelihood interventions, such as improved agricultural practices. Since 2010, water resource management has been implemented in Lushoto and Korogwe districts of the Western Usambara Mountain in Tanzania’s Northeastern region. TFCG have been working with communities in 21 villages in the project area for the last 15 years, where they have been promoting sustainable livelihoods strategies through participatory forest management, improved sustainable agriculture practices, rearing of small ruminants, and bee-keeping and aquaculture as income generation activities. In 2009, a participatory situation analysis was carried out by TFCG in Lushoto and Korogwe districts where results revealed that only 46% of the people in Lushoto and 51% in Korogwe had access to clean water. This was affecting women, in particular, who had to travel long distances in mountainous terrain to fetch water.
Programme Development The implementation of the water resource management programme with TFCG began in June 2010 with massive sensitization to raise awareness on water management issues for over 30,000 people. Similar to other awareness-raising programmes implemented by TFCG, training and sensitization meetings were attended by a wide range of participants. These included representatives from the local authorities, district officials, traditional leaders and other stakeholders, such as NGOs and local networks, Village Natural Resource Committees (VNRC), farmers, women and youth groups, and individuals. Posters and t-shirts were distributed and during a field visit to the project site by a gorta representative in February 2012, the participants’ awareness of water management issues and potential solutions was clearly evident. Integrated catchment management plans were developed for the upper Mkolo and Kwebululu rivers, involving all 21 villages. Water committee members were trained in the management of water resources in order to enable them to construct and manage the protection of the springs that deliver water to 16 villages and will provide safe and clean drinking water to approximately 10,000 people. Protection of the water sources included a wide range of interventions, from small water sources
providing water to 50-100 households, to larger water sources that include gravity delivery and distribution systems to ensure that community members have easy access to clean water within reach. The VNRC, established in the catchment area in 1997, received further training in participatory management of the upper catchment in order to ensure the quality of the water and the vegetation that protects these water sources. As the patrolling of the forest has been carried out by the participatory forest conservation committees for the past 20 years, the additional water resource protection is a natural step for these committees. Reforestation efforts have also taken place around the water sources so as to promote their conservation.
Eva Lolenzo and Lilian Williams from Bagamoyo village in Korogwe district, Tanzania, climb up-hill carrying water from a spring that supplies water to 80 households out of 3,400 people living in the village. The Water Users Committee received training on sustainable management of the spring.
Participants planting tree saplings at a Tanzania Forest Conservation Group tree nursery in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.
Hausa and Jaacobo Lucas irrigate the demonstration plot that Bagamoyo Farm Field School (FFS) cultivate. 15 women and 15 men have constructed soil terraces on a ≤ acre where they cultivate ginger, tomatoes, cassava, maize cabbage and beans. Drip irrigation equipment will soon be installed to enhance the agriculture production during the dry season.
Promoting Conservation Agricultural Practices Farmer field schools (FFS) provided training to 630 farmers (246 women and 384 men) on improved agriculture techniques that included irrigation on a small scale. Each of the FFS were trained in improved agriculture techniques based on conservation agriculture practices. The demonstration plots were developed on the hillsides in areas where the slope reaches 100%. Earth terraces were also constructed where irrigation basins were formed to cultivate a diversity of crops, such as tomatoes, beans, maize, ginger, cabbages, green peppers and potatoes, and the ground was treated with organic manure. Irrigation is currently being provided by gravity-fed irrigation canals and a mobile improvised sprinkler. Ten drip irrigation systems of 500 square metres are due to be placed on the demonstration plots and these will be accompanied by intensive technical support to ensure correct operation and maintenance. Two
gravity schemes are planned to be rehabilitated through the project and provide water to over 600 farmers irrigating approximately 450 acres.
Complementary Interventions Other water-related interventions promoted through the programme include harvesting of rainwater in 15 schools. A total of 7,500 students will have improved access to drinking water when water is scarce during the dry periods from March to June and from September to November. The programme also involves participatory forest management, which TFCG have been practicing since 1985. Tree nurseries were established in primary schools with support from farmer groups and it is expected that these trees (firewood and timber varieties) will be distributed to at least 10,000 farmers, thus alleviating pressure on the natural forest. A total number of 1,500,000 trees are expected to be planted during the three-year programme. Bee-keeping activities have been practiced by other communities supported by TFCG in the Arc range mountains and have had very positive results. Selected community members have received a total of 300 beehives. It is estimated that one beehive could provide 40 litres of honey per year which can be sold at a weight value of 6,000 Tanzania shillings (TSh) per kg which is equal to approximately 3 Euro. Therefore, one beehive provides an annual income of 240,000 TSh (115 Euro) per year. The expected total income to be generated from 300 beehives would be in the region of 72,000,000 TSh (33,540 Euro) per year.
Additional Water Interventions Implemented by gorta’s Partners Kenya
gorta has been supporting other partners in Tanzania and other countries in Eastern and Southern Africa in the implementation of water-related activities. At present, these activities are implemented on a community basis but the future direction is to explore the scope for introducing a broader reach to manage the water resources at watershed level.
Tanzania gorta has been working with the Same Agricultural Improvement Programme Trust Fund (SAIPRO) in Nothern Tanzania since 2010. SAIPRO have been working closely with the Same District Water Department and the communities in the area. Their broad experience includes the construction of water reservoirs for irrigation purposes. These reservoirs are constructed manually with the assistance of farmer groups through a process that involves several stages of interaction with the communities. The process is demand driven and requires strong commitment on the part of the community to cover 25% of the cost and to provide the unskilled labour required for the construction, and also the necessary locallyavailable materials, such as sand and gravel. As an integral part of the irrigation scheme, the group receive training in irrigation practices, book-keeping and administration, marketing, and financial management. The Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) has been one of gorta’s partners since 2010. TOAM assisted in the registration of three ginger-farmer associations and provided them with training in access to markets. The farmer associations in Mnasi, Welei and Myamba consist of over 5,000 farmers who grow ginger for export. This is the main cash crop in these communities on which the entire local economy has been depending for the past 15 years. One of the main constraints in the production of ginger is water scarcity. A survey is planned to take place to determine the potential for the construction of water reservoirs in the catchment which will increase the production potential of the area under ginger and enable
additional farmers to benefit from the sale of the crop. In the dry areas of Loliondo district in Northern Tanzania few water sources exist, forcing cattle herdsmen to migrate long distances across the Northern and Central regions in search of water and grazing. This causes frequent conflicts with farmers due to competition for water and the destruction of cultivated land by the cattle. Since 2007 gorta has been working with the Ujamaa Community Rural Trust in the district. Initially, the community interventions focused on the pastoralist groups through the provision of goats to widows and support to the communities through training programmes. In Ngaripusy valley, four springs provide water that is used for drinking and agriculture production. In the next phase of this programme, gorta will support the protection of these springs with a view to increasing their efficiency and improving agriculture practices in the area.
Kenya Since 2009 gorta has been partnering with the Kenya Freedom from Hunger Council (KFFHC) and in 2011 KFFHC was approached by farmers in the Njoro district to rehabilitate a water dam. The dam provided water for washing carrots prior to their packing and transport to markets and also drinking water for cattle and sheep. A survey of the area and discussions with the farmers and other stakeholders revealed a need for water resource management interventions. Domestic water supply is scarce in the district and not equally distributed. Commencing in 2012, the project will address the protection of four springs in the catchment area and the rehabilitation of one earth dam. Dialogue
Uganda
tanzania zambia
between the three villages sharing the water sources will start as a first step, to analyze water flows, quantities used by the various users and incorporate measures to conserve the soil and manage the water on a watershed basis.
Zambia gorta has been working with the Centre for Livelihoods, Environment and Watershed Management (CLEWM) since 2007. Previous interventions included training communities in access to markets, small entrepreneurship and the development of business skills, rearing of goats and supporting tree nurseries with the provision of shallow wells, seeds and tools. Through a survey that took place in December 2011, increased soil erosion along the Mwambeshi river banks was identified as a major threat in the depletion of ground water levels which reduced water availability to the communities in 10 villages. Conservation efforts are planned to take place to address the soil erosion threat and introduce further training for the communities so as to provide solutions to the effects of climate change that had been identified by them.
Uganda Twegatte for Health and Development (THAD) works with rural communities in improving their living conditions through the provision and supply of clean water as well as advocacy for proper hygiene and environmental sanitation. In 2012 THAD will implement an integrated rural clean water supply and environment sanitation project targeting 10,000 people. This will be achieved through the drilling
of five boreholes, the construction of three shallow wells, protection of one spring and the construction of three VIP latrines in three schools. This initiative foresees the organization of beneficiaries into water user groups, the formation of water user committees tasked with the operation and maintenance of water sources and the provision of relevant training. In South Western Uganda, gorta is working with the Literacy Action Development Agency (LADA) to ensure a reduction in the occurrence of water borne diseases rampant in the districts of Rukungiri, Kanungu and Mitooma. The project beneficiaries include Orphans and Vulnerable Children, People Living with HIV/AIDS and grandmother households susceptible to these diseases. So far, 27 water tanks have been constructed for rooftop rainwater harvesting. In 2012, the project will be targeting 7,750 households through the protection of springs, the construction of shallow wells and the promotion of awareness-raising on hygiene, sanitation and water catchment conservation. To date, achievements have included the formation and institutionalisation of 31 water-user groups into savings and credit schemes, and the establishment of eco-friendly schools with hygiene and sanitation demonstration sites, toilet facilities, and tree nurseries.
The Way Forward gorta’s increased focus on water security and sanitation will involve further activities in the future to promote knowledge sharing and capacity building among local NGOs and communities. Exchange visits between farmer groups and organizations, annual forums to share experiences, and the provision of training for staff and leading farmers have proven successful in terms of building capacity and encouraging knowledge sharing. FFS are planned to demonstrate improved soil and water conservation techniques. Annual seminars are planned to take place on a regional platform to promote learning in relation to water resource management and watershed management, similar to a seminar that was held by gorta in Uganda in 2010. Involving academic and training institutes, such as the Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and the World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC) in Tanzania, are key to making research and technical advances accessible to smallholder farmers. Partnerships with the private sector through corporate social responsibility initiatives will further support local organizations and farmers alike, similar to the support provided by the grader donated by ‘friends of gorta’ to ADWAC in the Gambia. These invaluable donations make a tremendous impact on the lives of people who benefit from access to innovative technology which enhances lasting change. Investing in the integrated approach of watershed management allows communities to strengthen the resilience of their own local food systems in order to secure livelihood opportunities for present and future generations.
Community members work together to construct a gabion box at Chamen village in the Gambia.
Since it was founded in 1965, gorta has been the Irish affiliate of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO aims to help developing countries modernise and improve their agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, with a particular focus given to developing rural areas.
‘‘Water is life.
Without water, there is no life.’’
Design: TOTEM www.totem.ie
Front Cover Kumba Kinteh, President of the Women’s Group in Marong Kunda and a member of the Eco-zone Committee, tends to her rice field in Njabba Junda, the Gambia. The Committee are supported through gorta’s partnership with a local NGO, the Agency for the Development of Women and Children (ADWAC). Technical paper developed by Ron Rosen, Water Management Specialist (gorta). Photo Credits: Ethical Sector Communications and Ron Rosen.
gorta – The Freedom from Hunger Council of Ireland. Head Office 12 Herbert Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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