Institutional Collaboration And Shared Learning For Forest Management In Chivi District, Zimbabwe

This paper examines processes of collaboration among institutions for communal woodland management at the local level in Zimbabwe and explores how these processes influence sustainable resource utilization. I discuss how institutions adapt to changing social and environmental conditions. Based on case study evidence, I argue that community-based natural resource management works best in a context of institutional collaboration and shared learning. I identify three requirements for collaboration: the need for effective facilitation of experimental learning, equal power in the learning process and the willingness to engage in a multistage process that can be costly..Funding for the study was provided by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the Department for International Development Micro- Catchment Management Project. DFID Project No: R730

Conflict and conflict resolution in the management of Miombo woodlands: three case studies of Miombo woodlands in Zimbabwe

A report on the conflict and conflict resolution in the natural resource management of Miombo Woodlands in Zimbabwe.The prevalence of conflict over natural resources is well documented (Anderson et. a!..,1996; Ayling & Kelly, 1997; Ortiz, 1999; Sithole & Bradley, 1995; Moyo et. aL, 1992; Murombedzi, 1992; Scoones and Cousins, 1991). Scoones and Cousins (ibid) argue that resources that are highly valued are also highly contested. However, they find, as does other common property resources (CPR) literature that such competition for resources can result in tightly controlled property rights (Bromley and Cemia, 1989). But there is lack of consensus in literature about the impacts of such contests, as others suggest that conflict result in chaos, which abates natural resources degradation (Murphree, 1991; Buckles & Rusnak in Rusnak [Ed] 1999; Little and Brokensha 1986). Social scientists like Fortmann (1995), suggest that conflicts are an important aspect of the discourse where resources, rights and obligations are negotiated. Similarly, resource economists like Becker and Ostrom (1995), suggest that conflict or such contests are part of the ongoing negotiations for resources within CPRs. For example, Ostrom proposes that when such conflicts occur, users and their officials have rapid access to low cost, local arenas to resolve conflict among users or between users and officials (Becker and Ostrom, Ibid). Nevertheless, one major weakness with the high value-high contest’ and conflict as discourse’ approach to conceptualising conflict in the use and management of natural resources is that they down play the role that the social structure plays in either fomenting or averting conflict.Publication has been made possible through grants to the Centre for Applied Social Sciences from IDRC and the Ford Foundation

Contribution of Baobab Production Activities to Household Livelihoods.

IES Working paper.Baobab production activities play a crucial role in contributing to the livelihoods of rural households. In the face of increasing village populations, commercial use of baobab has been steadily increasing to the point where currently, 43% of sampled households participate in baobab production activities. Commercial use of baobab products is especially important to the poorer households arid women. In terms of contributing to household livelihoods, baobab activities are ranked second only to some kinds of agricultural production. Numerical estimates of contribution to livelihoods bear out this result with cash income of approximately Z$5000 per annum received for each participating person, well above the official minimum wage. Opportunity costs of labour make up about four-fifths of this value, leaving one-fifth of the cash income accruing as economic rent. The rent available to households seems to vary widely, as there are households that are well located close to baobab trees, which greatly reduces production costs and increases economic rents captured. The importance of baobabs to livelihoods, combined with the potential ecological importance of these trees in contributing to biodiversity, makes the sustainability of this resource vital. Accordingly, if current use rates are not sustainable (see Romero et al., (in prep) there is scope for investigations into policies and management options that could foster sustainable use

Social charters and organisation for access to woodlands: institutional implications for devolving responsibilities for resource management to the local level in Chivi District, Zimbabwe

The "paradigm shift" in natural resource management away from state-centred control toward community-based approaches in which local people play a much more active role is situated within the theoretical framework seeking to empower local communities through decentralization policies. This study examines the organizational framework within which decentralization is implemented using a case study from southern Zimbabwe. At the local level there is a complex interface between traditional and modern authority structures, with both complimentary and conflicting jurisdictions and mandates. Given this multiplicity of organizations, the study advocates for systematic examination of appropriate organizations to be involved in the decentralization process

Institutional collaboration and shared learning for forest management in Chivi Distict, Zimbabwe

This chapter examines processess of collaboration among institutions for communal woodland managemnet at the local level in Zimbabwe and explores how these processess influence sustainable resources utilization. The author discusses how institutions adapt to changing social and environmental conditions. Based on case study evidence, I argue that community-based natural resource management works best in a context of institutional collaboration and shared learning. The author identifies three requirements for collaboration: the need for effective facilitation of experimental learning, equal power in learning process and the willingness to engage in multi-stage process that can be costly

Participatory planting and management of indigenous trees: lessons from Chivi district, Zimbabwe

This paper reports on action research that evaluated local perceptions and knowledge of indigenous tree planting and management in the Romwe catchment, Chivi district, southern of Zimbabwe. The species tested were the overexploited Afzelia quanzensis, important for timber and carvings of sculptures and utenssils; Sclerocarya birrea, the marula tree used for wood, bark, and fruit; and Brachystegia glaucescens, the dominant miombo tree species, used for firewood, fiber, and fodder. Participants volunteered to plant and manage the test seeds, while a research team monitored their activities and results for 26 months. For Afzelia quanzensis, the germination rate was 81% and 69% of the seedlings were still alive after one year. In the case of Sclerocarya birrea, the germination rate was 69%, and the one-year survival rate was 50%. For Brachystegia glaucescens, the germination rate was only 30%, and the survival rate was 31%. The main reasons for planting were to provide shade, to serve as a windbreak, and to conserve and gain individual control over dwindling natural resources, particularly Afzelia quanzensis. Women were generally more active and innovative than men. For intance, they searched for their own seeds or seedlings in the bush when there weren't sufficient plants. Some participants tried out various methods of pest and disease control, water conservation, and moisture retention. Group feedback sessions and informal interactions provided the opportunity to share experiences. The participants learned that indigenous trees can be purposefully planted and were not simply a gift from God. Despite the droughts and political instability of recent years, a growing number of people became involved in tree planting during 2002-2003. As a result, there is now greater awareness among the local population of dwindling resources and their future potential