GROWING GREEN Supporting Civil Society Organisations in Environmental Management in Zambia. 1 1 In Livingstone, Kachere Arts Studio construct a large “Green Elephant” sculpture from recycled materials and solid waste. Contents ............................................................................................................... Foreword 4 CSEF Background 5 Extractive Industries Transparency Alliance 6 Livingstone Green Initiative 8 Nelly Zulu & Grace Belemy 9 Solid Waste Management 10 Composting & Organic Fertiliser 11 Widows Association 12 Self Help Africa 13 People’s Process on Housing and Poverty in Zambia 14 Citizens for a Better Environment 16 Zambia Institute of Environmental Management 18 Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre 20 Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust 22 South Luangwa Conservation Society 24 CSEF Grantees Index 26 Foreword “Though for only 3 years in implementation, the project has provided useful lessons learnt.” ................................................................................................................................................... We welcome you to take a snap-shot of some accomplishments of the Project: “Support to Civil Society Organisations in Environmental Management in Zambia”, jointly funded by Finland and Denmark. The Project started as a novel way of channeling support to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the environment and natural resources sector. There was a lengthy planning period, which provided a platform for debate on how best CSOs in environmental management could be supported without compromising the independence to realise their role in society and at the same time working within Zambian Government policy guidance. Though for only 3 years in implementation, the project has provided useful lessons learnt. CSOs demonstrate their strength in complementing government through implementation of projects as well as advocating Zambian government, private sector and other stakeholders to fulfill their roles in contributing to a sustainable environment and natural resource sector. We hope you will be excited about the accomplishments presented in this booklet. We look forward to seeing similar type of innovations and green technology increasing in implementation as well as spreading all over Zambia. Growing green as a nation requires participation of all stakeholders and this booklet intends to strengthen the aspirations of Zambians to continue to work for a better and healthier environment for current and future generations. Pertti Anttinen Ambassador Embassy of Finland Lusaka 4 From left to right: PPHPZ Kalulushi federation members in front of a water kiosk; Signage in Musele prohibiting farmers from creating new farms or cutting down trees; Nelia Beza, a Self Help Africa beneficiary, in her garden. CSEF Background “A joint initiative of the Royal Danish Embassy, and the Embassy of Finland in Zambia.” ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Environmental management in civil society organisations (CSOs) support (in excess of USD$ 3.5 million) issues overlap, and reinforce one Zambia faces several challenges, in Zambia are better resourced and to more than 70 individual CSO’s another. In Zambia, rural livelihoods including land degradation; loss capacitated to assume a key role in this active in the field of environmental are inextricably linked to the local of biodiversity; unsafe waste crucial effort. management in Zambia across all environment, and there is widespread management; water pollution and ten of Zambia’s Provinces. CSEF recognition that protecting the inadequate management of water A joint initiative of the Royal Danish has supported CSOs through the use environment must be linked to resources; inadequate legal and Embassy, and the Embassy of Finland of four principal grant modalities: providing alternative livelihood policy frameworks; and inadequate in Zambia, since 2011 CSEF has Organisational Support Grants; options that do not place finite enforcement of legislation. Other played a key role in supporting Innovative Project Grants; Capacity natural resources under unsustainable significant challenges include air CSOs to actively participate in, and Building Grants and Research; and demand and pressure. pollution, poor sanitation and contribute to, Zambia’s effort to Events and Dissemination Grants. inadequate wildlife protection and better manage its significant natural Through these four modalities, CSEF This booklet serves to highlight just management. Climate change too, resources and environment. CSOs are has been able to tailor support to some of the initiatives that CSEF has has become a national issue given an important resource for sustainable the specific needs of each distinct supported over the past three years, the several and severe threats that development in Zambia. They can organisation, and add significant value and provides some examples of the the process of change poses to both both complement the Government’s to its efforts and assist in the planning, work that Zambian civil society is the environment and the economy of efforts in environmental management, implementation, monitoring and undertaking to protect the Zambian Zambia. as well as advocate as watchdogs evaluation of complex and innovative environment. It is clear that civil for the development of effective projects that are achieving real society has an important role to play Recognising that effectively combating environmental policies and legislation, development results. in safeguarding Zambia’s rich natural environmental threats and improving and promote their implementation. resources and heritage. Over the environmental sustainability require CSOs are efficient channels for CSEF has also recognised the links course of the last three years CSEF actions from all levels of society: donor support and also channel between poverty, gender, vulnerability has been able support civil society to national and local governments, communities’ own resources to and environmental management, undertake significant strides towards private sector, and civil society. The improve environmental sustainability. seeking to support initiatives that protecting those resources for the Civil Society Environment Fund both recognise, and seek to address, generations yet to come. (CSEF) was established to ensure that Since 2011, CSEF has provided grant the manner in which these key 4 5 Top to bottom: Farming Environmental Protection land in Musele; Musele Task Force Vice Chairperson, Morris Sankisa with his family; Local Science school teacher & Musele Task Force Secretary, who prefers not to be named in print. Extractive Industries Transparency Alliance “With EITA’s assistance, members of the Musele Task Force were trained on how to engage with the mining companies, the Government, and other key stakeholders.” ............................................................................................................... Extractive Industries Transparency felt that the arrival of the extractive Alliance (EITA) was established in 2009. industries had forced them to change The organisation was established to their way of life, in many cases entire safeguard the interests of communities communities had to re-settle to located in the immediate surrounds accommodate large mines, but they of large extractive industries, many of did not feel that they were being fully which are based in Zambia’s Copperbelt engaged or compensated for these Province. EITA attempted to create a accommodations. Furthermore, forum through which communities local people did not know to whom could identify and articulate the ways they could bring their concerns, and in which these extractive industries articulate their feelings of grievance. were affecting their lives and lifestyles, and to discuss the measures that could EITA recognised this gap in the local be put in place to address those issues. community’s knowledge, and realised that it could play a role in building In discussion with these communities, their capacity to articulate, advocate and the small community and lobby for their own interests. So representative groups that EITA helped in 2012, with CSEF support, EITA to establish, the organisation quickly initiated a project that worked with learned that local communities were community based organisations to not fully aware of the implications help them to identify their needs and of living in areas that contained lobby for change. EITA recognised the mineral wealth and significant natural importance of engaging the Zambian resources. Community members Government, and seeking to ensure 6 that communities that were based Clockwise from left: Signage around large extractives could also forbidding the building of have a voice in the formulation of structures on a mine’s land; policies and laws that regulated Demolished settlement that those industries. EITA also engaged was built on a mine’s land; the extractive industries themselves An unapproved pipeline laid by a mine to a proposed dam; to push for responsible governance Farming land in Musele. that included communities and ensured that they too would benefit from the natural resources found in their locality. One such community was that of Musele, located in Solwezi District in North-Western Province. For many years, the Musele community had seen an increasing level