WRC-ESS Final reference group - Erna's slides | Mahlathini Development Foundation

Erna’s slides

CH 2: ASSESSMENT OF RAINFALL AND WATER

QUANTITY PATTERNS OVER TIME

PARTI:ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE TOWARDS A SHARED UNDERSTANDING

Outcome:

Understanding of the water resource (changes of

water quality, quantity, streamflow, recharge

potential, sediment load)

Methods:Historicaland current monitoringofclimatic and

hydrologicalobservations,hydrologicalmodelling.:

3 meteorological station (and a high altitude station outside this

area)

36 Raingauges

6 Streamflow gauges

3 ISCO water sampler

2 Spectral probes (WQuality)

1 Eddy Covariance flux tower (includes CO2)

2 Surface renewal systems

Warmingchambers

Fire disturbance records

Repeat vegetation surveys plots

MonthlyLeafArea Index

Cosmic Ray Probe

3 pits of TDR soil water probes to 1.6 m

MonthlyDivinerreadingsat18pointsthrough catchment

LiCor-8100 Soil Respiration System

Monthlymanual gasextractioncollars

Temperature

Annual mean temperature anomaly for the Mike’s Pass meteorological station

Impact of heat waves on crop production in Costone and Ezibomvini

Crop monitoring in Ezibomvini(24 Jan 2023) for

Conservation agriculture farmer level trials

Above: Maize for farmer 1 showing heat stress

Below: Maize and cover crops for farmer 2, in the

next-door homestead, on the same day.

WHY THE DIFFERENCE?

Org. C %

N %

Clay %

Farmer 1

1,6

0,15

4,9

Farmer 2

0,19

5,1

- Innate soil qualities (higher % clay for

farmer 2)

- Increased soil organic matter ( %

Organic Carbon – 1,6% vs 2%)

- Increased nitrogen (0,15% vs 0,19%)

- Improved canopy cover for farmer 2

Rainfall

Annual (hydrological years) rainfall anomaly for the Mike’s Pass meteorological station for

the full period 1949 –2021 using a combination of in-situ gauged data and infilled data

-Local governance

-Decision-making

-Power and access

CH 5: GOVERNANCE, DECISION-MAKING, POWER

AND ACCESS

Methods: Focus group discussions,in-

depth interviews, informal conversations,

participants observations

PARTI:ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE TOWARDS A SHARED UNDERSTANDING

Topicsoffocusgroupdiscussionswithcommunities

- Understanding of natural resource management

- Land use priorities and access to resources

- Land use practices in the past, present and future.

- Decision makers and decision making (community, local chiefs

and councillors)

- Impact of climate change on natural resources

In-depth semi-structured interviews with local authorities,

NGOs, water committee members in Costone and

Ezibomvini, and EcoChamps

- Toaddressquestionsrelatedtopowerdynamicswithinwater

governance, management, access and collaboration.

CH 5: GOVERNANCE, DECISION-MAKING, POWER

AND ACCESS

Summary of analysis

•TAs’functionalinthespheresoflandallocation

and community level conflict resolution

•Some leadership and decision making around

land use – grazing management, infrastructure

and services

•Lacking coherence in term of land use and

resource management

•Collaboration with Local municipal structures

sporadic and low

Outcomes

•Contestation of access to communal

resources, decision-making and governance

structures

•Frustration and discouragement within the

community regarding both the Induna, the TA,

the councillors, and the local chief. The

community members feel let down by their

leaders who are not effectively addressing their

needs and concerns, and instead, seem to

prioritize their own interests

•Community level informal groups and individual

decision making around resources and land use

management

•The concept of ownership has emerged, where

individuals claim resources such as land, water

sources, and trees as their own and engage in

economic transactions in these area.

Traditionalleadershipisexpectedtoprovide

democratic governance directly or through

supporting the government institutions across

all spheres within their communities, without

clear avenues, processes, structures or

finance provided to do so.

Clear need for coherent community level

management and decision making -

governance structures, which can promote

collaboration across local leadership structures

and provide a voice for disempowered

members of the community.

Overall, decision-making processes in these

communities involve a combination of collective

discussions among some selected groups of

community members, individual autonomy in certain

areas, and the involvement of the local chief and

councillor in resolving disputes and managing

resources. While there is a focus on community

participation and preserving natural resources, there

are also challenges and tensions in the relationship

between the community and certain governance

structures, as highlighted in the case of municipal

water access and the perceived lack of effective

leadership.

The conversations with community members and

observations during community engagement portray a

sense of frustration and discouragement within the

community regarding both the Induna, the TA, the

councillors, and the local chief. The community

members feelletdown by their leaders who are not

effectively addressing their needs and concerns, and

instead, seem to prioritize their own interests. The

community's relationship with both the local chief and

the councillors is strained, and their roles lack clarity

and effectiveness. These challenges within the

governance structure contribute to a growing sense of

frustration, highlighting the need for improved

leadership and communication to address the

community's needs and build trust.

Costone

•Contestationofaccesstocommunalresources,decision-making

andgovernancestructures:Overall,decision-makingprocessesin

thesecommunitiesinvolve acombinationofcollectivediscussions

amongsomeselectedgroupsofcommunitymembers,individual

autonomyincertainareas,andtheinvolvementofthelocalchief

andcouncillorinresolvingdisputesandmanagingresources. While

thereisa focusoncommunityparticipationandpreservingnatural

resources,therearealsochallengesandtensionsintherelationship

betweenthecommunityandcertaingovernancestructures. The

conceptofownershiphasemerged,whereindividualsclaim

resourcessuchasland,watersources,andtreesastheirown.

Thus,publicaccesstoresourceshasdiminished.

Traditionalleadership,insummary(fromthereport)

Traditionalleadershipisexpectedtoprovidedemocraticgovernancedirectlyorthroughsupportingthegovernment

institutionsacrossallsphereswithintheircommunities,withoutclearavenues,processes,structuresorfinance

providedtodoso.TheLocalGovernmentprocesseshavehoweverfailedinmostrespectstoprovidetheleadership,

supportandfundingrequiredforcoherentlanduse,waterandnaturalresourcesmanagement,leadingtolargely

unregulatedoveruseandmismanagementofresourcesincommunaltenureareas. Localinhabitantshavetosome

extentsteppedintothisvoidandmadetheirownarrangements,generallyclearlydesignedtoprovidepersonalbenefit

tosomeindividuals,andnoneofwhicharenecessarilysupportedlegally. Thissituationhasfurtherweakenedthe

positionofwomenandthepoorinthesecommunities.

•Thematic co-learning workshops

•Weather and climate change: graphs and discussions on impact

•Socio-ecological mapping and adaptive planning

•Map handover and implementation progress review – Local resource

management committees

•Cross visits

•Ezibomvinilearning group members to Stulwane

•Multistakeholder interactions

•NDC project presentations

•Field visit

PARTII:CO-LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Social-ecological mapping in

Ezimbomvini

Social-ecological mapping in Costone

Local resource management areas for improved eco system services

- Community defined

Key Area

Management required

Notes

Grazing areas

(Amadlelo)

Livestock feed and water,

firewood, medicinal plants,

Restoration and management

Clear Lantana and use poison after cutting to stop regrowth

Rotational grazing

Control wildfires and make firebreaks. Storage drums for emergencies with fire one can

use

Explore financial benefit – grant/incentive mechanisms

Monitor and manage nutrition of veld (erosion control, overgrazing control, removal of

poisonous weeds, re

-seed of palatable species)

Awareness raising in the community and for livestock owners.

Eco-champs to do clearing

Dip tank committees and livestock associations

Better community collaboration with dip tank committee

as well as TA and councillors

Community workdays

- Clearing of Lantana in Ezibomviniand Costone.

- Moving gates and fixing fences in Costonegrazing

area

- Workshop presented by Working on Fire team in

the uThukela area- re firebreaks and fire

management

CH 8: CO-DESIGNED INNOVATIONS AND ACTIONS

Erosion control

-Toensur eavailabilityand

quality of water and soil

resources

Restoration

Awareness raising and outline ofresponsible actionsto enforce

Avoid expanding of minor erosion into dongas.

Prevent siltation and pollution.

Allow re-vegetation, naturally or through re-seeding

Prevent run-off

Check dams, brush packs, stone packs,

Prevent livestock from causing further damage

Control wildfire- make fire breaks

Storage drums for emergencies with fire one can use

TA andlivestockcommitteestoundertakesome

actions

Eco champs to assist

Some actions and contributions from community as a

whole (e.g. loan of tractors, small financial

contributions

External support

Continued support from UKZN and MDF in mapping,

planning, proposal development, community structures

and management

Alien trees

Eucalyptus, poplar, and

wattle plantations, and

patches

Small changes

Promote better management by ‘owners’

Cut down and poison lantana and encroaching poplars

Ensure management of wattle patches

Remove trees from water sources and streams in all cases

TA,Nkosiand‘owners”encouragedtoundertake

management activities as trees are useful in the

community and cannot just be cleared.

Local resource management areas for improved eco system services

- Community defined

Key Area

Management required

Notes

Stone packs and stone lines by eco champs in

Ezibomviniand Community in Cosotone

Community based clearing of wattle in Costone

Restoration site in Stulwane-WWF (INR-MDF) – brush packing, re-seeding. Run-off and

siltation measurements

Springs and streams

Waterprovisionfor

drinking, laundry,

irrigation, construction and

livestock

Waterqualityand

quantity

-Issues are

floods, livestock trampling,

children use as toilet, litter

Protection, restoration, and management

– must protect the water sources to ensure

supply.

Should protect water so that livestock don’t disturb the sources

Protect the springs; with fencing and the ditches above to avoid water from flowing in

overland and contaminating these springs.

Check water quality.

Remove eutrophication.

Check springs regularly.

Drinking spots for livestock

Community awareness and education – and for children

Maintain the water infrastructure that is there.

Avoid doinglaundry in the watersources andkeeping them clean, no pampers, no

urination, no use as toilet, no dumping of dead animals.

Protect springs with pipes to be able to irrigate the gardens (reticulation to taps)

Also use grey water for irrigation.

Waterharvestinganduse.

Make sure children don’t play around the water sources… or pollute them

WATER ACCESS

Big issue

-TA,localmunicipality,watercommitteesandlocalised

groups of people using specific water sources to work

together on access and management plans and

implementation

-Community must come together and make rules and

regulations re hygiene and water

Those that are involved should talk to others and

ensure they also learn

involve the TA councillors and

Nkosi….

Asking Mahlathini

to help with fencing and funding for

water access

Day to day activities of cleaning springs, digging

furrows to reduce contamination to be done by locals

Dig refuse pits for disposal of waste – in each locality

Awareness raising and communications

Involve schools

Eco champs to assist with spring protection and

management and schools’ interventions

Local resource management areas for improved eco system services

- Community defined

Key Area

Management required

Notes

WaterqualitytestinginEzibomviniand Costone, including river ecology, mini SASS and E.coli.

Cleaning of streambeds by community in Costone

Spring protection and reticulation in Costone:Community and eco-

champs

Planning stream abstraction for multi purpose water supply – Costone –July-Sept 2023

Wetlands

(Amacaphuza),

Reeds (incema)

-Food and water for cattle,

also in winter

Medicinal plants

Fire retardant

Runoff and flood water

management

Improved water quality

Fertile soils with

earthworms

Small management changes to manage condition of wetlands.

Fencing to ensure good condition and make drinking troughs for livestock

Awareness raising on wetlands functionsand services

Replanting important species into wetlands; then someone needs to police this and

ensure people don’t just harvest everything

Protection and restoration of important medicinal species for sale: Stop people with

big bags who come in and take for selling

Avoid pigs coming in astheymessthingsup

Avoid fires and burning

Livestock inclusion managed e.g. –allow them in at certain times only. Or maybe

make camps and move them. Or allow them to graze on the edges. Or cut and carry

feed.

TA involvementand‘landowners’inwetlandareasto

outline rules and responsibilities

Community as a whole to follow these

Local water and land use committees to undertake

specific actions related to water access and

management

Issues around rights around use of water and

important medicinal plants need further interventions

Suggestion: talk to livestock association then bring

their comments and suggestions to the water

committee to continue the conversation and include all

Local resource management areas for improved eco system services

- Community defined

Key Area

Management required

Notes

No interventions as yet around wetlands – requires whole community

commitment as well as intervention by traditional authorities for

changing rules of use and management

Preparation and construction of spring protection and reticulation in Costone.

PARTII:CO-LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES

CH 9: DECISION SUPPORT FRAMEWORKOutcome:

A frameworktosupportco-designed decision-making based on

co-learning for sustainable management of community resources

Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) learning groups and relationship building with local and external stakeholder

Theoveralloutcomesofsuchasprocessareexpectedtobe:

- Improvedparticipatorydecisionmakingtosupportimplementationandinnovation.

- Improvedgovernance - newcommunity-basedstructures

- Improvedgovernance - improvedrulesandlogisticswithincommunity-basedstructures.

- Improvedgovernance - coherentcollaborationwithstakeholdersandroleplayers.