Staff Reporter
UNESCO in partnership with executing entities in Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Resettlement recently launched a project called “Be Resilient Zimbabwe” under the theme “Strengthening Local Communities’ Adaptive Capacity and Resilience to Climate Change Through Sustainable Groundwater Utilisation in Zimbabwe” worth USD 5 million will be implemented in the next four years at Binga and Buhera Districts of Zimbabwe.
This project comes at a time when erratic rainfall and poor water management practices have a direct negative impact on the water availability in the rural communities of Binga and Buhera districts, located in the Lower Gwayi and Upper Save catchments of Zimbabwe. As a result, water sources often dry up during the September to November dry season, causing the failure of crops and animal productive systems.
The project will strengthen the capacity of water and land management institutions in Lower Gwayi and Upper Save sub-catchments by developing integrated catchment management plans that promote groundwater use whilst protecting groundwater resources.
As well as pilot and demonstrate concrete climate change adaptation measures based on sustainable groundwater utilization by diversifying the livelihoods of Lower Gwayi and Upper Save sub-catchments.
At the same time seeking to achieve the following outcomes:
Existing catchment management and planning guidelines revised to mainstream gender, climate change, and groundwater
The Sub-Catchment Management Plans of Lower Gwayi and Upper Save sub-catchments were revised through stakeholder participation to address climate change and groundwater issues.
Capacities of extension services and institutions at the catchment level strengthened to support communities in the two selected sub-catchments to undertake climate change adaptation activities.
The technical capacity of the two sub-catchment councils and Rural District Councils strengthened to manage and protect groundwater.
Skills training for community members on sustainable technologies and smart agricultural techniques.
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