SUSTAIN Progress
During 2015, the second year of SUSTAIN implementation, progress was made in facilitating joint action among community, government and business stakeholders using the landscape approach, while building strategic partnerships and engagements needed to promote and scale-up sustainability and inclusion in policies and investments.
In 2015 key achievements were:
- Ihemi-Kilombero Cluster, SAGCOT – Implementation led by the African Wildlife Foundation was operational in March 2015. In the Kilombero Valley landscape, AWF developed a co-investment partnership with Kilombero Plantations Ltd. to finance restoration of the Mngeta Catchment through payments for ecosystem services for sustainable water supply and climate resilience. A partnership with the Rufiji Basin Water Office was established to strengthen water governance through support for a Water User Association (WUA) in the catchment. AWF also developed a co-investment partnership with the Kilombero Valley Teak Company, including business training and mentoring. In the Magombera landscape, AWF facilitated a proposal to government on future governance of the landscape that integrates community access to the forest, while supporting the resolution of land-use conflict between communities and the forest reserve. They initiated development of a partnership with the Kilombero Sugar Company Ltd., to be formalised in 2016, on promoting climate-smart agriculture with contract farming, community-based forest management and management of wildlife corridors. AWF developed a co-investment partnership to support development of community-based value chains for honey using beehive fencing to reduce human-elephant conflicts in the landscape.
- Sumbawanga Cluster, SAGCOT – Implementation led by SNV-Tanzania was operational in September 2015. SNV established a partnership with the Lake Rukwa Basin Water Office on support for WUA formation and information exchange and planning. SNV initiated partnerships with local NGOs on landscape restoration and climate resilience focused on charcoal production in the Kassanga-Matai landscape and on water flows in the Sumbawanga-Mtowisa landscape. SNV supported development of co-investment partnerships, to be formalised in 2016, with Empien Farms and Msipazi Farms to support inclusive business development with out-grower farmers, integrating climate smart agriculture, natural resource management and value chain development.
- Zambezi Valley, Mozambique – Inception of the SUSTAIN programme in the Zambezi Valley was launched in March 2015. Following a situational analysis study, and initial consultations with stakeholders, the districts of Cahora Bassa, Marara and Magoé in Tete Province were selected as locations for demonstration landscapes. Selection of implementing partners was opened in August 2015, leading to identification of ADPP and Micaia Foundation as lead implementing partners for SUSTAIN in Mozambique. Co-design of the programme then proceeded in collaboration with IUCN, alongside outreach and development of partnerships with key institutions in Mozambique, to be formalised in 2016, including the Zambezi Valley Development Agency, which is the anchor institution for SUSTAIN, the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development (MITADER) and the business confederation of Mozambique (CTA).
For more information, please contact water [at] iucn.org