Stakeholder Feedback from Mzingwane Catchment Meeting

John Dimes

CPWF PN17 Final Project Workshop

15-18 June 2009, Univ of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Mzingwane Meeting

When: 19-20 MayWhere: Bulawayo

Program: 1. Institutional Model – MCC, ZINWA, UZ2. PhD/MSc Research – 6 presentations3. Other Research – 6 presentations (incl PN1)4. Stakeholder Feedback5. Self Assessment

Stakeholders: MCC, BCC, PA, ZINWA, Practical Action, Dabane Trust, World Vision

General CommentsPA:

• You should have involved/consulted us earlier• Lower Mzingwane aquifers interesting• Love should come to our office and say this is what we can

offer.

BCC: What of zero tillage

ZINWA:• Research outputs (some) need to be something we can

use.• Institutional researchers have helped us to understand the

problem not the solution – although the MCC-CASS work is looking at developing and implementing the solution.

General Comments• PA:

– Work more on what farmers have, to optimise that – older varieties, existing technologies etc.

– DLCs – in some areas there is uptake by farmers who approach the donor from outside the operational area.

• Dabane:– Some aquifer sites dry up? We are concerned.– Water quality findings are very worrying. Might they

extend to the Shashani?– How accurate are the current agricultural regions?

Local variations? Climate change?

What Information needed– World Vision:

» We work on a five-year planning cycle with the community» Best practices documented from research can help to compare

with community “shopping lists” and consider sustainability. Two-page best practice summaries.

» All topics – we work in a huge variety of fields.– Practical Action:

» Best practice summaries.» Syntheses on key topics (the three topics) with

recommendations.» Information on water resource availability, water levels, flows,

water tables etc.– ZINWA:

» Love’s model» Aquifer parameters.

– Dabane:» Water quality and water levels in the key rivers.

What Information needed– Bulawayo City Council:

» Pollution of the water source – what is coming from gold panners? What pollution is there from cattle and ordinary village life?

– Provincial Administrator:» Most things are very relevant to our work.» How best can given water resources be used?» We need the basic information on what could be done.» It would have been nicer if at least one student came from the

Province! What about NUST? » Not enough information on cattle in this project.» The PA’s office should have been kept informed more frequently.

– Catchment Council:» Testing and upscaling the institutional model is what we are

most interested in.» We need to consider green as well as blue water.» Capacity building is also key..

Self Assessment

Number 14 10Status

Data Team StakeholderAverage of Obj_1 6.8 6.1Average of Obj_2 6.3 5.8Average of Obj_3 6.7 5.7Average of Obj_4 7.9 6.5

Overall Average 6.9 6.0

1. FFBAR: 2. Water Resources: 3. Institutional Model: 4. Capacity Building