Wildlife populations in Zimbabwe are declining due to consecutive droughts, habitat loss, illegal hunting for wild meat and trade in wildlife products. In addition, human-wildlife conflict poses many challenges for rural communities. To address these issues, the SWM Programme is helping establish community conservancies to improve land-use planning and wildlife management by local communities.
In Binga District, Matabeleland North Province, the SWM Programme is working with traditional chiefs, local communities, and government authorities to create the Mucheni Community Conservancy. The goal is to reduce conflicts and promote co-existence between local communities and wildlife by introducing affordable and appropriate technologies to protect livestock and crops, and supporting water and livestock management practices that diversify livelihoods and income sources.
The SWM Programme works with 14 000 people in the three chiefdoms of Sinampande, Sinakoma and Sinansengwe. Field activities are coordinated by the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) in collaboration with the national government.
Output 1: Community rights and governance
The SWM Programme’s legal analysis contributed to the review of the Parks and Wildlife Amendment bill and will support the reform of the Community-Based Natural Resource Management Policy and alignment of the Forest Act and Communal Land and Forest Produce Act to the Forest Policy. A key focus has been on providing for community conservancies, which devolve management of wildlife to communities. The SWM Programme Legal Hub is used in government veterinary training courses, and over 200 people have been trained in conservancy-related legal matters.
Output 2: Adaptive wildlife management
Wildlife management activities in the Mucheni Community Conservancy include:
Output 3: Healthy and sustainable supply chains and consumption
A major focus has been on enhancing livestock production to improve food security, increase household incomes and reduce wildlife poaching. A successful goat breeding programme, which introduced Boer and Kalahari Red bucks to the region, has benefitted 3 800 households. Other activities include finding new markets to sell livestock, rehabilitating dip tanks and races to improve livestock health, and increasing honey production with new beehives.
Output 4: Zoonotic risk prevention and management
A community surveillance system is being set up to monitor zoonotic risks that could impact local communities, wildlife and domestic animals. This aligns with a broader effort to integrate a One Health community-based surveillance into the national animal and zoonotic disease surveillance system, coordinated by the Department of Veterinary Services and its partners.
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