Where are you: Home News September 1999


September 1999 Newsletter

The institute was as ever exceptionally busy in the last quarter , with the launch of the DANIDA funded project on environmental training three short courses (one on Developing short courses and the other on Assessing the impacts of research and development.)  and an annual planning meeting for “Micro-Catchments and Common Property Management”.  Mrs Nemarundure spent a month in Hawaii developing a chapter for a book, with her work focusing on synergies and conflicts among local NRM institutions.

Socio-economic and Environmental Conditions in Southern Africa

The Institute has been involved in a series of studies in the communal areas neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique in the South East, and neighbouring South Africa and Botswana in the south.  Both areas have been considered for potentially forming Peace Parks, these being wildlife areas managed jointly by two or more countries.  Initial work on the socio-economic conditions indicate that the implementation of the Peace Park concept may not be easy.  For further information we can mail an IES Policy brief entitled “International Peace Parks vs Local Realities.”  The wok has been facilitated by CESVI (an Italian NGO) with funding from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Modelling the influences of Policies on Woodlands and Livelihoods

A workshop was conducted in June at Club Mazvikadei to develop models that can assist us in deciding how policies impact woodlands and livelihood.  The workshop was facilitated by the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR) for a regional project involving the University of Zimbabwe, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Eduardo Mondlane University and the Bundu College.  Over the next two years systems and goal programming approaches will be developed.

A Successful Community-base Forestry Initiative

Community-based forestry initiatives are not very common, although governments are moving in that direction throughout the region.  In Babati in Tanzania eight villages appear to be on the right road to successful management.  It is too early to judge success, but forest quality has improved dramatically in the five years that the scheme has been in operation. The elements that may be promoting success include the following:

• The community indentified the problem of over-utilisation and decided to act.

• The government is supportive of highly devolved power, right down to the village level, where:

1. by-laws can be introduced
2. fines can be collected etc

• There are clear rules about the forest (backed up by legal instruments).

•  The village selects resource monitors who receive 20% of all permit fees and fines, the rest going to the village.

IES is currently involved in a number of projects on governance and local institutions.  Partners in this research include the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Finnish Academy, The Forestry Research Institute of Malawi and Sokoine University of Agricultural Sciences.

For further information contact : Campbell@africaonline.co.zw

Landuse and Land-cover Change in Miombo

This project, being co-ordinated by Professor Frost, involves interpretation of satellite imagery, backed up by fieldwork to determine the patterns of land use, the extent and rates of land cover change, where changes are occurring, and why.  Three study areas are currently being investigated: a mix of large and small-scale commercial farmland, communal land, and resettlement areas bounded by Marondera, Macheke, Murehwa and Mutoko; Karamba Ward in UMP District (in conjuction with the ACIAR-funded Tropical Woodlands Management project; and five wards in Chivi district, in association with the DFID-funded project on Micro-Catchment and Common Property Resources being coordinated by IES. The work on land use and land cover change is funded by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the University of Virginia (NASA Grant No. NAD5-6384)

Workshop on Forests after the Kyoto Protocol

Their Potential Role as Soutces and sinks of Trace Gases, particularly Carbon dioxide.  The Workshop, held from 2-5 July 1999 in Soltau, Germany, was organisedd as part of a forum on Forests and Atmosphere-Water-Soil, one of five forums being organized as part of the World Forest Forum in conjuction with Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.  The forum was attended by 78 participants from 19 countries.  Professor Frost gave a paper on “Forests in Africa:  Options for Sustainable Development.”

First National Technical Project:  Miombo Project

The workshop, held from 28 June to 1 July 1999 at the Cresta Oasis Hotel, Harare with Professor Frost serving as the main facilitator This workshop initiated a project on Enhanced Resource-Use Planning for Tropical Woodland Agroecosystems, a joint activity involving AGRITEX, Campfire Association, CASS and IES;  the Centre for Integrated Resource Management, University of Queensland.  The project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, aims to build a process whereby biophysical, social, economic and cultural considerations can be incorporated into community-based resource management planning and decision making.  The process intended to be fully participatory, with local communities being involved in planning and decision making from the outset.

Rebecca Polland Environmental Prize

Prize of ZWD50 000 will be given for the best environmental papers and posters produced by Zimbabweans.

For more information contact IES:

Workshops and Seminars

1.     The Institute will be conducting GIS seminars under the SAREC GIS project.
Dates:  1 Oct, 5 Nov and 3 Dec, 1999
Venue:  Geography Seminar Room

2.     Workshop on “Governance, Property Rights and Rules for Woodland and Wildlife Mangement in Southern Africa
Dates:  23-24 November 1999
Venue:  Harare

3.    Environmental Impact monitoring Workshop

This orientation workshop, to be organized in collaboration with GTZ and CDE will give participants a platform to share their field experiences in Environmental Impact Monitoring and pave way for follow-up workshops, specific training and consulting.  The objectives of the workshop are to share experiences in impact monitoring systems tailored to their specific needs and project situations; and to discuss the need for future backstopping activities.  The workshop also combines single steps of the impact monitoring procedure, plenary discussions, group work and a field visit.

Dates:  14 – 16 September 1999
Venue:  Mandel Training Centre, Marlborough, Harare

Publications

1.     Frost, P.G.H and Mandondo A (1999).  Emerging Issues in Natural Resource Management in Semi-Arid Production Systems.  IES Working Paper 12, 18pp

2.     Frost P.G.H (1999).  Fire in Southern African Woodlands:  Origins, Impacts, and Control.  In “Proceeding of an FAO Meeting and Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires, FAO Forestry Paper 138, 181-205

3.     Frost P.G.H (1999).  Community-based Management of Fire:  Lessons from the Western Province in Zambia.  In: “Fire in Southern African Woodlands:  Origins, Impacts, and Control.  In “Proceeding of an FAO Meeting and Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires, FAO Forestry Paper 138, 341-351

4.     Matambanadzo P, Mhlanga F, Hapanyengwi G and Semwayo D (In press)  Towards designing an Integrated Framework for Geo-Information based on the Persistent Paradigm.  IES working Paper 11

5.     Semwayo D and Matambanadzo P  (1999).  The design of an unrestricted data unit (UDU) conceptual model for geo-spatial data.  IES Working Paper, 18.