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Urban Wetland Protection in Lusaka, Zambia

Written by s.mutafya on 6. April 2022. Posted in Countries, Zambia.

The Natural Valley Wetland is one of Lusaka’s last surviving urban wetlands. Located just ten kilometres from the city’s airport, it is next to both residential and commercially zoned areas including Natural Valley Ltd, Zambia’s leading bottled water company. The wetland boasts extensive biodiversity, featuring a variety of flora and fauna, including birds such as the egret, blue heron, and Zambia’s national bird, the African fish eagle.

Due to its physical properties, the Natural Valley Wetland functions as a natural filter and purifier, improving the quality of water emanating from the city’s bombay drains, which flows through the major business and commercial districts of Lusaka before its discharge into the natural water system and percolation into groundwater reserves. By acting as a stormwater conduit and helping to purify wastewater, the wetland plays an important role in the water management of Lusaka.

However, the amount of plastic transported along the drain from the city represents a major challenge. Other threats include the seepage of lubricants and other hazardous liquid waste into the wetland through illegal dumping, more intense wet and dry periods due to climate change, cutting of trees, pilfering of plants, and poaching of native wildlife. By upsetting the natural lifecycle of the wetland’s ecosystem, whether through poaching or pollution, there is a great risk that the wetland will fail to thrive. Not only will this present a biodiversity loss for the area from the standpoint of preserving “green” spaces, but it will also negatively affect the wetland’s ability to keep rainwater during the rainy season, and filter groundwater as it percolates into the aquifer. The degradation poses a serious risk for the wetland’s provision of important ecosystem services.

Plastic waste in the Natural Valley Wetland
Copy right GIZ

In 2013, Natural Valley Ltd., constructed a dam with a capacity of 330,000 cubic metres on their land to better conserve the complex yet delicate state of the wetland, improve water retention during the rains and improve the zone’s capacity to prevent local flooding. The company, though concerned about the huge amounts of plastic waste that accumulates in the wetland, envisions a future where this waste becomes “plastic gold” serving as a resource to be recycled, supporting the improvement of the environment, and creating more prosperous communities

NatuReS Zambia is working with Natural Valley and the Local Municipality Lusaka City Council under the LuWSI partnership to explore sustainable solutions to tackle the issues this urban wetland is facing. The goal is to reduce the flood risk, enhance environmental stewardship together with the surrounding communities, conserve the local biodiversity, promote micro-climate regulation, and inspire actors to collaborate in protecting the wider groundwater recharge area from contamination.

The marrying of public and business interests for the protection of groundwater is a vital ingredient in the collective stewardship of natural resources, especially in the conservation of one of Lusaka’s last urban wetlands.

Author: Sonile Mutafya, NatuReS Advisor Zambia

The Catchment Stewardship Approach in Practice: Panel discussion during Uganda Water and Environment Week 2022

Written by Support on 21. March 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

The 5^th Ugandan Water and Environment Week takes place from the 20^th to 25^th of March 2022. The conference provides a platform where a wide range of stakeholders can exchange knowledge, understand each other’s perspectives, and learn for the improvement of Uganda’s water and environment resources. The event is growing into a flagship conference for natural resources discourse not only in Uganda, but at the regional level. For the fifth time, policy makers, technical specialists, academics, public and private sector institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs and consumers come together, this year to discuss the topic of “Water and environment for peace and socio-economic transformation of Uganda”.

The Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS) contributes to the conference with a presentation and following panel discussion on March 22^nd, 12:00-14:30 CET, entitled: The Catchment Stewardship Approach in Practice – Lessons from the Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS).

Register and join only via this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqcemgrz0oE9QaOZjgo6NOzprqV58EgzCr

After a set-the-scene presentation by Dr. Hans Komakech from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology on “How stewardship partnerships can contribute to ecological restoration and sustainable economic development”, partners from public, private sector and civil society will share experiences from multi-stakeholder stewardship partnerships across five Sub-Saharan African countries, reflect on key lessons and provide perspectives for the future.

UWEW Catchment Stewardship Approach in Practice Download

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Gulu Integrated Catchment Management Partnership in Uganda unites forces for catchment protection

Written by Support on 17. March 2022. Posted in Uganda, Uncategorized.

Development and Validation of the Water Source Protection Implementation Plan for Oyitino micro-catchment in Gulu City, Uganda

Gulu City lies within the Albert Nile and Aswa Catchments of the Upper Nile Water Management Zone. Both catchments are characterized by high vulnerability to dry spells. Changing climate conditions of recent years have led to the drying -up of the Oyitino valley dam, Oyitino 2 reservoir and the associated streams, which serve as main water source for the city. The degradation of the micro-catchment is exacerbated by increasing anthropogenic activities such as the indiscriminate disposal of solid and liquid waste, the growing number of settlements with unplanned and unauthorised constructions, the entry of pesticides and nutrients from agricultural practices and other activities such as brick making, stone quarrying, and sand mining within the Oyitino micro-catchment. This accelerating rate of catchment degradation poses a significant risk to the catchment’s capacity as provider of ecosystem services for the City’s businesses and population.

catchment map Gulu — The location of Oyitino 2 river micro catchment and reservoir. Copyright: GIZ/Benard Nsubuga

To support the restoration of Oyitino micro-catchment’s ecological state, various actors joined forces under the Gulu Integrated Catchment Management Partnership (GICMP). Partners include i.e. the Ministry of Water and Environment-Upper Nile Water Management zone (MWE), Gulu City Council (GCC), National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC), TakaTaka Plastics Ltd, CEED Uganda. Together, they aim at complementing NWSC’s efforts in implementing source protection activities, specifically for Oyitino 2 within the Oyitino micro-catchment.

Gulu Integrated Catchment Management Partnership — Partners: Mr. Musota Richard (MWE-Partnership Chairperson), Adrupio Scovia (Mega Environment-Private Sector), Mr. Moses Otimong (GCC City Clerk), Miss. Jolly Grace (Wend Africa-Private Sector), Miss. Mr. Loum Bernard (CEED-CSO), Mr. Innocent Twesigye (NWSC), Mr. Ocayoto Emmanuel(CEED-CSO), Mr. Sentongo John(WSS-Consultant), Mr. Nsubuga Bernard (GIZ), Mr. Robert Rwamohokya (GIZ), Miss. Chambo Vivian Micheal(WSS-Consultant Team Leader), Miss. Opito James (Gulu NGO forum), Mr. Nsubuga George NWSC, Mr. Ochan Clifford (Taka Taka Plastics-Private Sector), Dr. Anthony Begumigisa (WSS), Miss. Adoch Esther Patricia (Gulu University), together with WSS services consultants after a water source protection implementation plan validation meeting. Copyright: GIZ/Simon Akena

Recently, they have developed and validated the Oyitino micro-catchment Water Source Protection Implementation Plan (WSPIP). The WSPIP identifies interventions that are needed to mitigate existing and future risks to the water source and improve its long-term resilience. The activities are categorized under three packages:

(1) natural-ecological restoration (hardware and soft activities) such as stabilizing banks with elephant grass and sensitisation of micro-catchment users for responsible behaviour within the catchment,

(2) alternative livelihood options which do not harm the environment such as bee-keeping and fish farming, and

(3) capacity strengthening of the Oyitino 1 and Oyitino 2 Water Source Protection Coordination Committee (WSPC), which will continuously monitor and spearhead sustainable management of the micro-catchment based on the WSPI.

Moreover, the plan provides a roadmap to coordinate partner actions and serves to leverage government and private investments, among other things.

sand mining Uganda — Sand mining near the Atiaba stream (tributary to Oyitino) in Amilabo Village, Palema parish; harmful to the integrity of the catchment.
Copyright: GIZ/Benard Nsubuga

More information on what the GICM partnership aims to achieve can be found here.

A stewardship journey to protect Ethiopian Lake Hawassa

Written by Support on 11. February 2022. Posted in Ethiopia, Uncategorized.

Since its establishment in 2018, the Protecting Lake Hawassa Partnership (PLH) is working in the Ethiopian Hawassa sub-catchment to mitigate the environmental and social risks affecting the lake. Through the partnership, various activities have been implemented in the lake Hawassa sub-catchment, leading to improvements of both environmental and social aspects.

A short video showcasing PLH activities in the Lake Hawassa sub-catchment.

The stewardship approach promotes collective action to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources. The partnership achievements of PLH are motivating its members and inspire others to join the stewardship journey.