The objective of Component 1 is to scale up landscape restoration interventions in the middle and upper Shire River Basin while enhancing the livelihoods of small-holder farming communities, addressing climate change vulnerabilities by making the farmers and the watershed more resilient to droughts and floods and improving or preserving the carbon sequestration capacity of the watershed. The Component is implementing several interventions divided into four sub-components: (i) sub-component 1.1–performance-based grants for landscape restoration; (ii) sub-component 1.2 – matching grants for enhancing agricultural-based livelihoods; (iii) sub-component 1.3 – advisory, capacity building and social marketing services; and (iv) sub-component 1.4 – support to land registration.
Sub-component 1.1– Performance-Based Grants for Landscape Restoration
The project is providing Performance-Based Grants to scale up landscape restoration in the upper and middle Shire. Restoration activities will be guided by the National Catchment Management Guidelines focusing on physical and biological soil and water conservation techniques (contour ridging, box ridging, infiltration ditches, gully reclamation, vetiver hedgerows, vegetative river/stream-bank protection etc.) while promoting CSA technologies (conservation agriculture, agro-forestry, farmer-managed natural regeneration etc.), community forestry and woodlots and plantation forestry.
Catchment and sub-catchment management plans and VLAPS are being developed in the target catchments and micro-catchments of the upper and middle Shire, respectively. These plans are guiding the communities on implementation of the identified interventions in a total land area of approximately 309,500 ha consisting of: (a) the four degraded catchment areas targeted under the SRBMP (Wamkulumadzi in Ntcheu, Upper Lisungwi in Neno, Chingale in Zomba and Machinga and Kapichira in Blantyre) covering an area of approximately 129,500 ha; and (b) New catchment areas to be delineated in Balaka, Machinga, and Mangochi districts, covering an area of about 180,000 ha.
Sub-component 1.2 – Matching Grants for enhancing agricultural-based livelihoods
The project will provide matching grants to enable cash-constrained farming communities in the Shire River Basin to invest in sustainable intensification of agriculture, increase productivity, add value and enhance market access for produce. Investment support will be provided in selected high-value chains, including horticulture, beekeeping, livestock, and livestock products – beef, dairy, small ruminants (goats, sheep), piggery, and poultry. The aim is to improve productivity, quality, value addition, market access and profitability, which in turn is expected to result in job creation, increased economic opportunities for these farming communities and increased household incomes. Support in horticulture and livestock value chains will also contribute to improved nutritional outcomes as it will enhance the availability of and access to diverse nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables as well as protein-rich dairy and meat products. Together, these activities will contribute to building the capacity of farmers to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change and to diversify agricultural systems to avoid the impacts climate change.
Two types of matching grants will be provided:
- Matching grants to small-holder farmers to enhance on-farm productivity sustainably in selected value chains; and
- Matching grants to agric-enterprises involved in the selected value chains to increase market access for small-holder farmers and SME development towards increased competitiveness, job creation and improved rural incomes.
The project aims to support approximately 200 farmer groups and 60 agric-enterprises. More details of the implementation arrangements for Matching Grants will be provided in a separate Matching Grant manual to be developed by PMU within nine months of project effectiveness.
Sub-component 1.3 – Advisory, Capacity Building and Social Marketing Services
This Component is financing advisory, capacity building, and social marketing services to close existing knowledge and skills gaps on SLM, CSA, and silvicultural practices among the farming community and district extension staff in the project areas. The component is also financing technical assistance on participatory catchment planning and management, including the formation and training of CMCs and VNRMCs.
Integrated Advisory and Capacity Building on SLM, CSA and Silviculture Practices
According to the National Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy (NFLRS), the adoption of modern (climate-smart) agricultural technologies is the restoration option with the highest potential and priority in the Shire River Basin. Yet, significant knowledge gaps exist among farmers and extension officers regarding Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies that improve land quality and reduce degradation, while at the same time improving productivity. The project, therefore, finances an integrated program of training and advisory to increase the knowledge and skills of farmers, extension staff and agri-enterprises in well-tested and proven CSA practices.
The program comprises a menu of CSA technologies, including, among other things, improved and stress-tolerant seed varieties (high yielding varieties, nutrient-dense crops, heat, drought and pest and disease-resistant varieties); conservation agriculture and integrated soil fertility management (minimum tillage, crop rotations, crop residue management, contour ploughing, terracing; soil and water conservation to reduce erosion and increase infiltration; agroforestry (establishment of seed multiplication and tree nurseries, fruit tree cultivation, windbreaks, hedgerows, farmer-managed natural regeneration and/or tree on farm); climate-smart livestock production (improved animal nutrition, quality control of livestock products, animal disease surveillance).
Training and advice is being provided on sustainable tree-growing practices to enhance knowledge of the use of high-quality seeds, species selection and matching, and silviculture to tree-growers and nursery managers. Silvicultural training will be provided by DoF extension officers, supported by specialized consultants, where necessary. Taken together, these trainings will enhance the knowledge and skills of farmers on SLM, CSA and silvicultural practices, and therefore enhancetheir capacity to adapt and absorb the negative impacts of climate change or diversify agricultural systems to avoid the impacts of climate change.
For SLM/CSA advisory, training, and extension support, the project has adopted the Farmers’ Field Schools (FFS) model. Trainings has also included a train-the-trainers program, Lead Farmer approach as well as ICT-based knowledge systems for technology demonstration and diffusion (including use of short videos). Project interventions are strengthening the extension services by addressing the CSA skills gap of extension officers who will train lead farmers in their agricultural communities, who will, in turn, train follower farmers. Extension officers and farmers are having access to targeted training and field-based learning, including workshops; site visits, demonstrations, and CSA practice pilots.
Social Marketing
Beyond advisory and capacity building, the project is financing the design and implementation of a social marketing campaign, based on cutting-edge behaviour research, to influence farmer adoption of sustainable landscape practices. Behaviour Change Communication is fundamental to the successful enabling of restoration at scale. Real and lasting change in land-use practices that contribute to degradation will depend on reaching millions of resource users across the forest and agricultural landscapes of Malawi with key messages and information that prompts behaviour change.
The Social Marketing Campaign is designed to influence attitudes towards SLM practices, create social pressure to change unsustainable land-use practices, reduce information barriers and promote the project’s interventions that are designed to facilitate the adoption of SLM practices. The campaign is employing the use of different communication channels, including field days, farm radio/TV programs, cell-phones, and other technologies. While the campaign is primarily target the Shire River Basin, it has been designed with a national character, with some messages aimed at audiences outside the basin
Sub-component 1.4 – Support to Land Registration
The project is supporting land registration processes in the target catchments to provide security of tenure for approximately 16,000 farming households, in accordance with the provisions of the Customary Land Act 2016. The project is supporting the process of demarcation, adjudication and registration of approximately 20,000 ha of land in the target catchments. The demand for land certification is likely to exceed the available financial support. For this reason, priority will be given to farmers receiving matching grants and beneficiaries of the small irrigation schemes, (WUA) The project is also giving attention to securing land tenure for women and the youth. The project is also financing the operating costs to set up customary land committees and tribunals, training them to undertake their duties in accordance with the law, providing necessary equipment and materials to support land-use.
The project is complementing other operations in the World Bank Malawi portfolio that are supporting rural land administration activities (for example, Agriculture Commercialization Project and Shire Valley Transformation Project) and follow the same approaches and procedures developed under these projects. The Land Reform Implementation Unit (LRIU) within the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MoLHUD) is coordinating land
administration activities under this project and has committed to deploy land clerks to all project districts to support land administration activities, including adjudication, demarcation titling and registration.
The Local-level participatory land-use planning, land demarcation, adjudication and registration of 20,000 ha of land in the target area will provide security of tenure for approximately 16,000 small-holder farmers.
We are Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).
Links
Contact
Area 3 Roundabout, Opposite Town Hall, Veterinary Head Office Premises
Send us message
Please feel free to contact us on any topic, we would be delighted to respond on the work we are doing