FINAL REPORT For Baseline Survey for the UNDP/GEF Project “Strengthening Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management and Climate- Smart Landscapes in the Mid to Lower Zambezi Region of Zimbabwe: Component 2 & 3. By Lilian Goredema, Emmanuel Mwakiwa, Maxwell Phiri, Moreangels Mbizah, Takesure Tozooneyi, Lioli Maguma, Anderson Muchawona, Richard Muchena. Harare July 2019 Acknowledgments The Baseline Survey Team of Consultants would like to express their gratitude to the members of the communities in Muzarabani, Mbire and Hurungwe districts who participated in answering the Household Survey Questionnaire, and all the other stakeholders who participated in the Focus Group Discussions and the mapping and field exercises. The team also thanks the key informants for creating time to meet with the team members and freely discuss their views and opinions. The Team also appreciates the hard work and commitment of the survey enumerators and drivers in the field. The time taken by Project Management Unit and members of the Technical Committee of the project to participate in the various consultations, provide guidance and logistical support is greatly appreciated. The team also appreciates the time and effort put in by the Natural Resource Officers, Safari Operators and scouts of the three districts in assisting the team during field work. Finally, the team recognises the support provided by the UNDP Zimbabwe Country Office and Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the support by the Project Management Unit. Although stakeholders consulted expressed their views and opinions, the Baseline Survey consultancy team is responsible for the final contents, including conclusions and recommendations, of this report. ii Abbreviations π Profit AA Appropriate Authority AGRITEX Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services APU Anti-Poaching Unit AWF African Wildlife Foundation CA CAMPFIRE Association CAMPFIRE Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources CBO Community Based Organization CBWM Community Based Wildlife Management CEO Chief Executive Officer CGA Carbon Green Africa CMS Charlton McCallum Safaris CWC Community Wildlife Conservancy DAPU Dande Anti-Poaching Unit EMA Environmental Management Agency ESC Environmental Sub-Committee EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FC Forestry Commission FGDs Focus Group Discussions GEF Global Environment Facility GHG Greenhouse Gases GIS Geographic Information System Ha Hectare HH Household HWC Human Wildlife Conflict ILMP Integrated Land Management Plan IWT Illegal Wildlife Trade KII Key Informant Interview KAP Knowledge, Awareness Practice iii LEAP Local Environmental Action Plan LGDA Lower Guruve Development Association MA & D Market Analysis and Development METHI Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry MPI Multi-dimensional Poverty Index MWA Mavhuradonha Wilderness Area NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRM Natural Resource Management NPV Net Present Value NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product ODK Open Data Kit PA Protected Area PAC Problem Animal Control PPG Project Preparatory Grant PRAZ Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe r Discount Rate RDC Rural District Council REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks RM Resource Monitors RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement SAA Sustainable Afforestation Association SAFIRE Southern Africa Alliance for Indigenous Resources SAT Sustainable Agriculture Trust SFM Sustainable Forest Management SLM Sustainable Land Management SGP Small Grants Programme SO Safari Operator SOAZ Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe SWOT Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats t time iv TFCA Transfrontier Conservation Area TC Total Cost TR Total Revenue UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization US$ United States Dollar USA United States of America VIDCO Village Development Committee WARDCO Ward Development Committee WWF World Wildlife Fund ZELA Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association ZimVac Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee ZINARA Zimbabwe National Road Administration ZPWMA Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ZRBF Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund ZRP Zimbabwe Republic Police v Executive Summary The main purpose of the Baseline survey was to obtain socio-economic, wildlife, forestry, water and other biodiversity-related data that would inform the implementation of activities under Component 2 and 3 of the project. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data, secondary data, and field observations was the methodological approach used. A total of 1043 people were involved in the survey. There were 583 household survey respondents from 12 wards in three districts, 40 Key informant interview participants and approximately 420 Focus Group Discussion participants. Of the HH survey respondents, 55.5% were female and 44.5% were male. There were 73.9% household heads who were the respondents. Sixty-four percent of the HH were poor, with Mbire having the highest (67.2%) households classified as poor. Nutrition is the most important form of deprivation accounting for over 30% of multi-dimensional poverty in all the three districts. Cooking/heating fuel was identified as one of the critical problems, reflecting an overreliance on forest-based fuel forms. Water scarcity is common across the three districts, but it is more prevalent in Hurungwe compared to the other two districts. Maize, cotton and tobacco are the most common crops grown. There are three main forms of conservation agriculture being practiced which are: crop rotation, soil cover and minimum soil disturbance. Most households are involved in cash crop production (mainly tobacco, cotton, and beans) with Hurungwe having the highest proportion of households involved in cash crop production. Trading mostly of fruits, groceries, fish, vegetables, livestock, crafts, and other Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) both informally across national borders and locally is the second most common enterprise. Cross border activity is more common in Mbire, particularly in Kanyemba due to the vicinity to the Zambian and Mozambican borders. In terms of biodiversity-friendly enterprises that can be done or expanded given the natural resources in the project areas and assuming financial resources are available, most of the of the sampled households (31.8 %) mentioned gardening as the most promising. Among the three districts, Hurungwe had the highest proportion of households who wanted to pursue gardening. Apiculture is second ranked (20.3%) with Mbire having the highest proportion of households selecting it. Small livestock production: poultry and goats - in order of importance – is ranked third (18.4%) with Muzarabani having the highest proportion of households (22.7%) who chose small livestock enterprises. Commercialization and value-addition of NTFPs is ranked fourth (6.61%) with Muzarabani contributing the highest proportion who believes it is a noble entrepreneurial idea. Other enterprises mentioned include aquaculture, craft making, woodlots and game ranching although the numbers were quite insignificant. About 15.5 % of the respondents indicated that they were not sure of what ideas could be viable. vi Around 65 % of the households have not done any form of capacity training across the three districts. Except for natural resources management, Hurungwe seems to have had the least capacity building trainings. About 33.1 % of the households indicated to having done natural resources management training. Mbire had the highest proportion of people who received both business development and natural resources management trainings. Forest cover per Community Wildlife Conservancy (CWC) is as follows: Mavhuradona (73%), Karinyanga (50%), Kanyurira (38%), Mbire North, ward 1 (60%) Pfundundu and Mukwichi (70%); Forests are key enablers for ecotourism across the 6 CWCs as they provide habitats for wildlife and should be sustainably managed. Insect damage, veld fires and tree cutting for various purposes including fuelwood (for tobacco curing and brick moulding) and construction were cited as major threats to forests. There are few interventions promoting the use of energy-saving technologies such as Tsotso stove, biogas and rocket barns. There is little or no commercialization of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) across the 3 districts due to amongst other reasons, lack of market information and low prices offered by buyers. Forest rehabilitation and restoration efforts are hampered by unreliable rainfall and insect damage. For wildlife the key constraints in providing status and quality of wildlife populations were the lack of current data at both local and national level. The last wildlife aerial census was done in 2014 for the project landscape. Inadequate record-keeping and monitoring at community and Rural District Council (RDC) level also affected the availability of information on Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC), poaching and revenues. Wildlife corridors, which are mostly used by elephants provide connectivity across the project landscape. There are settlements in wildlife corridors in the three districts thus increasing HWC incidences especially for Hurungwe (wards 8 and 9), Mbire (wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 11 and 16) and Muzarabani (wards 27, 5, and 3). Encroachment into the CWCs is occurring in the following wards: for Hurungwe