Local | PANORAMA

Setting-up a sponge farm

The development of an appropriate cultivation method was started concurrently with the evaluation of suitable species and in close collaboration with the first sponge farmers. In this phase many technicalities had to be clarified and a simple yet robust cultivation system that can easily be multiplied was developed. Some of the details that needed to be worked-out were:

The minimum water depth at which sponges thrive and at which sponge farmers can spend as much time as possible without being required to swim.
The optimal spacing between sponges.
Sourcing rope material suitable for the construction of the farm and attachment of cuttings that is durable, cheap, easy to handle and locally available.
The ideal cutting size, shape and suspension method.
The minimum number of cuttings per farm necessary for two sponge farmers to make a living and to ensure that propagation does not require collection of additional sponges from the wild.
The frequency at which cuttings need to be cleaned and trimmed.
The right moment to harvest sponges.
Methods to process, clean, preserve and dry sponges as well as appropriate packaging and labelling of the product.
A training curriculum for sponge farmers and the outline of technical assistance needed for future support independent sponge farmers.

Sufficient staff time, funds, patience and active communication were the most important factors that helped us establishing the first sponge farms.

Experiences gained over a two-year period are not guaranteed to be applicable as such in future years as climate, water temperature etc. are subject to change. In that respect aquaculture is like land based agriculture where years of experience, and trial and error are key to shape best practices. The possibility of variability should be kept at the back of one’s mind when setting-up similar projects and needs to feed back in the form of a continuous supervision of the farmers with a focus on quality assurance and advancement of the methods applied.

Implementation

Local

Subnational

• Choosing to plant threatened indigenous trees for high value timber

Overharvesting in Tanzania in general and in this area's forests which lie within the adjacent Mt. Meru National Park have contributed to the threatened status of nationally treasured species such as Dalbergia, Khaya, Afzelia, Millettia, Podocarpus, & Juniper spp. The capacities of the communities were built with the help of NGOs but the initiative was implemented as a participatory action research in which villagers led the collaboration with the NGOs in a supportive role.

The community recognized that some of these species are hard to find,and illegal to harvest in the wild. They identified multiple solutions including soil conservation measures and planting of these indigenous trees in their fields. They combined this with land use planning with local bylaws to be monitored and enforced by village environment committees, water source restoration using indigenous trees, and planting of grasses along soil & water conservation measures in farmers’ fields.

1 - A facilitating approach rather than directives let to voluntary formation of village by-laws in support of land use & natural resource management; two plans have been recognized by the district to date.

2 - Facilitation included training on measuring of contours and establishing grasses for livestock fodder, thus bringing multiple benefits: to conserve water and soil; in one village, gathering water from roads into field contours instead of the opposite (this idea still needs more promotion as farmers fear the effects of too much runoff water entering their fields.)

3 - The NGOs worked with the communities to find solutions and develop activities which they themselves identified. These discussions created ownership and led them to address other challenges.

Inception phase

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Choosing to plant threatened high value timber spedies

• Facilitating community discussion on natural resources management action;

The solution was to empower the communities to take action using sustainable agriculture through their voluntary involvement. Community members were involved in describing their situation and finding solutions which they were willing to implement, emphasizing participation and action to stop the environmental and food security decline. They proposed a number of activities which they agreed to commence. They identified multiple solutions including soil conservation measures and planting of indigenous trees in their fields, land use planning with local bylaws to be monitored and enforced by village environment committees, water source restoration using indigenous trees, and planting of grasses along soil & water conservation measures in farmers’ fields. The capacities of the communities were built with the help of NGOs but the initiative was implemented as a participatory action research in which villagers led the collaboration with the NGOs in a supportive role. They worked closely with the community leaders and early-adapter farmers to further refine the solutions and develop specific activities to address the challenges.

The communities have embraced the goal of increasing food security and environmental restoration by building capacity of community members by the two local NGOs. The first farmers engaged have noticed increased production and arresting soil erosion and increased water retention on their farms. The focus has addressed education, starting in the higher altitude farms. Not all obstacles like population have been addressed.

1 - The NGOs worked with the communities to find solutions and develop activities which they themselves identified. These discussions created ownership and led them to address other challenges.

2 - Instead of following methods of previous initiatives which primarily used exotic tree species, used a difficult-to-use technology for measuring contours (line-level) which farmers could not do themselves, and imposed engagement of farmers, this collaboration showed change by example, engaged first lead farmers voluntarily, generated adherence to bylaws first by education, later by coercion, used indigenous trees, and introduced simple tools & technologies.

3 - Historical approaches have left bad memories; forced destocking is illogical to the local agro-pastoralists whose assets are measured in land and livestock numbers.

4 - Population pressure has caused cultivation of steep lands which should not be farmed. Households high on the hillsides need to take the lead; those lower down suffer from the effects of the poor practices above them and their efforts are destroyed during heavy rains.

Facilitating community discussion on natural resources management action

Follow Ups and Extension

The extension staff usually discuss farmer priorities with them and then develop appropriate farming interventions. Trained farmers are offered post training services geared towards smooth transition to sustainable practices. These include continuous and regular visits by the field based staff in order to guide, advice direct and motivate them. Planning for real at this stage emerge given that the community members come up with various strategic livelihood improvement projects.

The group members will have an interest in sustainable methods of farming – Biointensive agriculture

The social-economic political and weather conditions will allow for the process of follow ups, training and more importantly adoption and implementation of the ideas.

Sensitized and trained community members might be able to hold together onto their convenient groupings making it easy for follow ups and sharing of ideas.

Farmers are aware of risks of synthetic products and or transgenic seeds.

The group members have come up with various strategic livelihood improvement projects.

Implementation

Local

Training of farmers

The method used in training involves introductory lessons on Biointensive agriculture and other sustainable ideas carried out indoors. After this familiarization with the concepts, the farmers are subjected to demonstrations to aid in acquiring of relevant practical skills and finally participatory action based on-farm training. Discussions and sharing of ideas and experiences is highly encouraged at this stage and upholding is equally emphasized. Thematic approach based on soil conversation, long term soil fertility building, ecological farm management practices and energy saving are stressed. Initially, trainers of trainees are selected from famer groups. They are then trained at Manor House Agricultural Centre. They are then sent to establish mini-training centre in the community where they train other farmers

The community members will have an interest in sustainable methods of farming – Biointensive agriculture i.e. avail themselves for the trainings, and play their duly part during training and implementation of the project in order to make a lasting impact.

The social-economic political and weather conditions will allow for the process of awareness, training and more importantly adoption and implementation of the ideas.

After this familiarization with the concepts of BIA, the farmers are able to adopt the technology. this is as a result of observation made from the demostrations during training and discussions, sharing of ideas and experiences

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

East and South Africa

Using biointensive agriculture to improve nutrition, income and food security

DAVID

MWANGI

Training of farmers

Follow Ups and Extension

East and South Africa

Using biointensive agriculture to improve nutrition, income and food security

DAVID

MWANGI

Training of farmers

Follow Ups and Extension

Sustainable livelihoods

The purpose of income diversification is to protect biodiversity, discourage environmentally degrading practices and improve the overall health of the environment. It works by providing incentives to the community people for switching to healthier livelihood options. Measures include: the application of Sloping Area Land Technology (SALT), climate resilient crops and cover crops, construction and rehabilitation of irrigation systems, and conservation and recharge of ponds to protect soil biodiversity. In addition, these activities improve agricultural productivity and boost income. Cultivation of climate-resilient crops with high local demand, namely banana, turmeric, ginger, sweet potato, taro and pineapple not only enrich soil fertility but also increase the resilience of farmers in the face of climate change and augment their income. Construction of bioengineering sites reduces soil erosions along river banks and mountain slopes. New catchment ponds in the upstream and maintenance of wells/ponds in the downstream help to irrigate fields, feed livestock, and retain soil moisture. Collectively, these activities decrease siltation in the downstream and consequently conserve the flora and fauna diversity.

Community participation and confidence in the initiatives are the major success factors for this building block. It is essential for the project to understand the needs and capacities of the community and keep them at the forefront, so that their livelihood strategies, ability to adapt and social environment are considered. While designing livelihood diversification initiatives, it is crucial to recognize the dynamic nature of livelihood strategies and respond flexibly to changes in people's situation.

A project can be successful if the livelihood options offered are technologically affordable, economic, environment-friendly and locally acceptable. Such activities not only increase productivity but also save beneficiaries' time, which can be invested in profitable activities. It is important to link livelihood initiatives with entrepreneurial skills through different trainings and orientations to ensure continuity. In order to achieve better environmental health and eliminate environmentally detrimental livelihood practices, environmental conservation activities must be linked with lucrative but environmentally sustainable income generation alternatives. Deep understanding of the interconnectedness of nature, such as the linkage between upstream and downstream ecosystems, is beneficial. It is important to develop local people as resource persons. Creating and employing resource persons within the locality is not only cheaper in the long term, but also increases benefits through ripple effect and favors sustainability of high technique livelihood diversification initiatives.

Implementation

Local

Alliance and partnership development

The purpose of this building block is to engage different stakeholders for ownership and sustainability. It works by creating a platform for leveraging resources, market linkages, policy formulation/ improvement and mainstreaming. For instance, NDRC Nepal actively engaged relevant government agencies for the project’s implementation, namely District Forest Offices (DFOs), District Agriculture Development Offices (DADOs), District Livestock Service Offices (DLSOs) and District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCOs). Local cooperatives, CBOs, NGOs and INGOs like Heifer International were also mobilized in the project’s endeavors for ownership and sustainability. The project efforts had direct benefits for the farming, forestry and fishery sectors. The involvement of local financial institutions helped link poor families to banks for financial stability. The project worked to link farmers directly with market networks, so that they continue to receive fair prices for their produce. Working with other relevant stakeholders, NDRC Nepal was successful in pressuring the Government of Nepal to draft a policy for addressing the issue of shifting cultivation in 2014.

For the success of this building block, three conditions are imperative: First of all, desired actors need to be included from the very beginning or planning phase of the project. Secondly, continuous communication and collaboration are vital to avoid misunderstandings and lay a strong foundation of partnerships. Finally, mutual review and reflection on a periodic basis provides insights for improving the alliance and partnership development.

During the implementation of this building block, multiple benefits of partnerships were realized. Cross sectoral collaboration is greatly useful for resource leverage. Including a variety of actors in the project is crucial to ensure market linkages. Also, if policy change or modification is needed, it is helpful to include the government sectors as intensely as possible. Including key government decision makers from the initial phase helps earn goodwill and catalyzes the policy formation or modification process. Collaboration and coordination with government bodies are pivotal in integrating important initiatives in the annual plans and programs for long term sustainability.

Action: Mangrove restoration laboratories

Community work at the tree nursery

GIZ

Tree nursery

GIZ

Community work at the tree nursery

GIZ

The underlying strategy of this building block is - instead of pursuing quantitative goals of restored areas -, to start with small, concrete actions such as mangrove seed nurseries and field trials with the communities. This helps to reduce barriers and leads to tangible and immediate results. In combination with the development and dissemination of information materials and participatory monitoring, it helps to showcase mangrove restoration as a means of adaptation to climate change by local actors. In addition, it strengthens the capacities of local stakeholders and institutions and generates synergies (see building block II).

Close collaboration with local stakeholders and continuous guidance.
Empowerment of the communities to maintain the ecosystem and improve the provision of ecosystem services important for their livelihoods.

While results in terms of restored area are still limited, investments in capacity development and governance of the area are expected to result in medium and long-term social, ecological and economic impacts.
For mangrove restoration, the area should be zoned according to social and environmental criteria: 1) priority areas where reforestation should be initiated immediately; 2) areas where other types of interventions should be carried out prior to reforestation (such as dredging, sensitization and training of surrounding local populations, removal of sewage discharges); and 3) other areas where mangrove can be left to recover alone (MAE and GIZ 2016).

Implementation

Monitoring

Local