A critique of by-law development and implementation in Chivi District, Zimbabwe

An IES Working Paper on By- Law development in Zimbabwe.The proper alignment of authority and responsibility within and between various levels of social organization is a fundamental governance problem. This study used a review approach to critically interrogate the political economy of the allocation of environmental jurisdictions among the Zimbabwean state, local communities and Rural District Councils through the conferment, to the latter, of the authority to enact conservation and land use planning by-laws. The subsidiary aim was to investigate, through afield study, the practical operation of the by-laws in everyday social life, in an analysis that situates the effectiveness of the by-laws within the theme of proximity to citizens. Several flaws and contradictions are evident in the political economy of the allocation of authority and responsibility among the above actors. Assignment of the responsibilities is framed within a top-down structure in which entrustments are transferred solely to Rural District Councils at the expense of other levels of social organization, particularly those close to the citizens. Although parent legislation allocates broad powers to Rural District Councils, monitoring of the effectiveness of such allocations is done on the basis of whether the governance arrangements deliver on the state’s goals, and not on local people’s goals and aspirations. But there is not much scope for communities to effectively participate in governance at the Rural District Council level. There also is not much scope in parent legislation for revising these governance arrangements, with higher level actors enjoying the prerogative to effect amendments, and not the communities. Governance arrangements fostered by the by-laws punish citizens for not respecting arrangements that the citizens do not effectively participate in crafting. Revenues accruing from fines imposed on people violating such arrangements accrue to the Rural District Councils, and not to the communities from which they are extracted. The study argues for innovative governance approaches that entail fundamental changes in by-law articulation.Funding for the publication of this study was provided by DFID Project No. R7304 Zimbabwe: Micro-catchment Management arid Common Property Resources

Applied Interdisciplinary Research And Training On Natural Resource Management: A Situation Report For Southern Africa

A Situation Report.This report is part of initiatives to strengthen transdisciplinary collaboration in training and research on natural resource management within southern Africa. The report is based on an assessment of capacity covering twelve institutions (mostly universities) from six countries of the region. The major shortcomings in current research and training activities include: disparities in capacity across countries and universities; duplication and gaps in coverage of issues; lack of continuity in research and training activities; lack of transdisciplinary interaction; lack of regional collaboration; and, reliance on informal and passive methods of ensuring that research findings influence policy. The report also includes recommendations on how the identified shortcomings can be addressed.Funding for the study was provided by the Ford Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) through the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (Zimbabwe). Publication costs were met by the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (CDG - Germany

Improving rural livilihoods in semi-arid regions through management of micro-catchments

A review of initiatives set up to inhance and improve rural livilihoods in semi-arid regions through micro-catchment of water sources.This paper reviews some of the issues that need to he considered in external initiatives aimed at improving rural livelihoods and alleviating poverty in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe through promoting enhanced community-based management of common-pool resources. Particular emphasis is given to the requirements for communal management of micro-catchments in the context of securing both the yield and quality of water delivered by surface and subsurface flow to productive water points (PWPs). These PWPs can be collector wells, conventional wells and boreholes, or dams and weirs. Their key feature is that the water is used primarily for irrigating market gardens, or fodder crops for dairy cattle, or for some other income generating activity. The hypothesis is advanced that the presence of a PWP is an entry point to initiating a broader range of community-based management initiatives intended to optimize the use of common-pool resources in the catchments of these productive water points. The review first examines some key biophysical and socio-economic features of rural communities in the semi-arid regions of southern Zimbabwe, to identify the main constraints and opportunities that shape the current livelihood strategies of the people living in this area. This is followed by an analysis of the tenurial and institutional contexts within which any attempts at collective management and use of common-pool resources must function. Options for the management of water and other resources in the micro-catchments of PWPs are then considered. The review ends with some thoughts on how an integrated approach to microcatchment management might be achieved.Department for International Development (DFID

Management and Performance of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in the Murewa and Mutoko Districts of Zimbabwe

Co-authored by Jackson, J.The standards of management achieved by eucalypt growers in Zimbabwe's rural areas affect the performance of the woodlots. Several woodlot achievement indicators - basal area growth, height growth, survival rates and estimates of mean annual increment were recorded and related to levels of management. Management inputs in eucalypt woodlots in Murewa and Mutoko districts are low. Resource constrained tree-growers operate below technical optima. Consequently, the performance of their woodlots is poor. The mean annual increments of woodlots in the two districts are well below the standards achieved under commercial silvicultural conditions and projections made for the Rural Afforestation Programme. The use of these lower mean annual increments in cost-benefit analyses weakens the economic justification of massive expansion of eucalypt plantings. The estimated mean annual increments of eucalypt woodlots in the two districts were similar to those for local indigenous woodland. This level of performance does not justify the clearing of natural woodlands for establishment of eucalypt woodlots. Current and future social forestry programmes must continue to emphasize a much broader approach linking a multiple species planting strategy to satisfy a wider set of smallholder needs with a more intense management of existing indigenous woodlandInternational Development Research Centre and CID

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

This article surveys the beliefs concerning the supernatural characteristics and powers of sacred trees in Israel; it is based on a field study as well as a survey of the literature and includes 118 interviews with Muslims and Druze. Both the Muslims and Druze in this study attribute supernatural dimensions to sacred trees which are directly related to ancient, deep-rooted pagan traditions. The Muslims attribute similar divine powers to sacred trees as they do to the graves of their saints; the graves and the trees are both considered to be the abode of the soul of a saint which is the source of their miraculous powers. Any violation of a sacred tree would be strictly punished while leaving the opportunity for atonement and forgiveness. The Druze, who believe in the transmigration of souls, have similar traditions concerning sacred trees but with a different religious background. In polytheistic religions the sacred grove/forest is a centre of the community's official worship; any violation of the trees is regarded as a threat to the well being of the community. Punishments may thus be collective. In the monotheistic world (including Christianity, Islam and Druze) the pagan worship of trees was converted into the worship/adoration of saints/prophets; it is not a part of the official religion but rather a personal act and the punishments are exerted only on the violating individual

Allocation of governmental authority and responsibility in Tiered governance regimes: the case of the Chivi rural district council landuse planning and conservation by-laws

The proper alignment of authority and responsibility within and between various levels of social organization is a fundamental governance problem. This study uses a review approach to critically interrogate the political economy of the allocation of environmental jurisdictions between the state, local communities and Rural District Councils in Zimbabwe. Rural District Councils have the authority to enact conservation and landuse planning by-laws. A subsidiary aim is to investigate the practical operation of these by-laws in everyday social life through analysis that situates the effectiveness of by-laws within the theme of proximity to citizens. Several flaws and contradictions are evident in the political economy of the allocation of authority and responsibility among these actors. Assignment of responsibilities is framed by a top-down structure in which entrustments are transferred solely to Rural District Councils at the expense of other levels of social organization, particularly those close to the citizens. Governance arrangements fostered through the by-laws punish citizens for not respecting arrangements that they do not effectively participate in crafting. Revenues accruing from fines imposed on people violating such arrangements accrue to the Rural District Councils, not to the communities from which they are extracted. The study argues for innovative governance approaches that entail fundamental changes in by-law articulation

Management and Performance of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in the Murewa and Mutoko Districts of Zimbabwe

The standards of management achieved by eucalypt growers in Zimbabwe's rural areas affect the performance of the woodlots. Several woodlot achievement indicators - basal area growth, height growth, survival rates and estimates of mean annual increment were recorded and related to levels of management. Management inputs in eucalypt woodlots in Murewa and Mutoko districts are low. Resource constrained tree-growers operate below technical optima. Consequently, the performance of their woodlots is poor. The mean annual increments of woodlots in the two districts are well below the standards achieved under commercial silvicultural conditions and projections made for the Rural Afforestation Programme. The use of these lower mean annual increments in cost-benefit analyses weakens the economic justification of massive expansion of eucalypt plantings. The estimated mean annual increments of eucalypt woodlots in the two districts were similar to those for local indigenous woodland. This level of performance does not justify the clearing of natural woodlands for establishment of eucalypt woodlots. Current and future social forestry programmes must continue to emphasize a much broader approach linking a multiple species planting strategy to satisfy a wider set of smallholder needs with a more intense management of existing indigenous woodlan