Teamwork by dedicated workers ensures the clearing of invading alien vegetation from the Crocodile River. The Crocodile River was once a pristine river catchment, diverse in both fauna and flora. Inva

Inter departmental approach (South Africa)

Description

Eradication of invasive alien plants to enhance water sustainability by increasing run-off into dams & rivers.

Aims / objectives: Programme started in October 1995, employing previously disadvantaged unemployed people to clear invading trees in catchments and along rivers. This has been going on for approximately 4 years. The leading department is the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry but they have been in partnerships with a number of other departments e.g. Land Affairs, Agriculture, South African National Parks, Welfare etc. Labour intensive methods are used to clear trees and apply herbicides to prevent regrowth. Where in sensitive areas, rehabilitation techniques are employed e.g. sowing grass seeds and re-establishing indigenous plants. There are also some wetland rehabilitation projects across the country where engineering techniques are used to rehabilitate wetlands. The Inter-departmental approach is unique in the country, but very important as objectives span all departments. The work is done on farmland, community land, private company land and governmental land. New laws will force landowners to clear large stands of alien trees in future and this programme offers landowners a way of clearing their land before the law is enforced. The approach is to use labour intensive clearing techniques to provide jobs and also tackle an ecological problem. In so doing, the programme tackles socio-economic issues and environmental issues. The major objective is to create sustainable water supplies in a drought prone country; hence - Working for Water'- (providing work to unemployed and increasing water availability).

Location

Location: All 9 Provinces, South Africa

Geo-reference of selected sites
  • 26.1, -25.577

Initiation date: 1995

Year of termination: 2015

Type of Approach
Map
Map where Working for Water have projects.

Approach aims and enabling environment

Main aims / objectives of the approach
The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Social development & job creation; AIDS/HIV awareness, cr??ches, secondary industries)

- To clear invasive alien plants & re-establish indigenous vegetation. - To create jobs - To find markets for wood products - To promote productive potential of land - Facilitate economic empowerment

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Aggressively invading alien plants; wetland rehabilitation; biodiversity impacts; social development & empowerment.
Conditions enabling the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
Conditions hindering the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
  • Availability/ access to financial resources and services: Expensive to clear large tracts of land Treatment through the SLM Approach: SA is drought prone, sold the idea on potential water benefits.
  • Institutional setting: Responsibly to clear plants falls between 2 departments - Environment & Agriculture Treatment through the SLM Approach: On back of water benefit, Department of Water Affairs began clearing
  • Legal framework (land tenure, land and water use rights): Law was not enforced and also not defendable in court. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Water law & Agricultural resources Act is under review to be more comprehensive. The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights moderately hindered the approach implementation Difficult to explain to landowner why we want to chop trees on their property, does not have to let us on.
  • Other: Perceptions: People perceive a tree as good - do not distinguish between alien & indigenous Treatment through the SLM Approach: Massive public awareness campaign.

Participation and roles of stakeholders involved

Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles
What stakeholders / implementing bodies were involved in the Approach? Specify stakeholders Describe roles of stakeholders
SLM specialists/ agricultural advisers Municipalities; Water boards Previously disadvantaged groups (e.g. by apartheid system), women & youth. 50-60% of our work force are women. Very physically demanding work therefore not many women. Chainsaw operators. Women are also nervous of being in supervisory position or take on responsibility of being contractors. Not many women project managers - partially due to fact that forestry industry is mostly male dominated. Communities supply the labour to do clearing through consultation, become aware of impacts of alien plants
NGO CSIR; Conservation bodies; SA National Parks
private sector Forestry companies
national government (planners, decision-makers) Department of Water Affairs & Forestry (head agency)
Lead agency
Dr. Brain van Wilgen: Scientific input on clearing operations. Dr Amy Presten: Scientific & Social Implications. (Dr Christo Marais): Nature Conservation Specialists on biodiversity and a number of forestry specialists as well.
Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
none
passive
external support
interactive
self-mobilization
initiation/ motivation
x
rapid/participatory rural appraisal; Land owners informed of project and project manager determines if possible to work on land
planning
x
rapid/participatory rural appraisal; Alien vegetation mapped at 1: 50 000, social dynamics determined, availability of funding plays a major role
implementation
x
Mainly: casual labour; partly: responsibility for minor steps; Community supplies labour to clear trees; can be responsible to provide transport etc.
monitoring/ evaluation
x
Local people (farmers, communities) provide valuable feedback on progress; evaluation process mostly external
Research
x
Flow chart

Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology

Decisions were taken by

  • land users alone (self-initiative)
  • mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists
  • all relevant actors, as part of a participatory approach
  • mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users
  • SLM specialists alone
  • politicians/ leaders

Decisions were made based on

  • evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)
  • research findings
  • personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management

The following activities or services have been part of the approach
Capacity building/ training
Training was provided to the following stakeholders
  • land users
  • field staff/ advisers
Form of training
  • on-the-job
  • farmer-to-farmer
  • demonstration areas
  • public meetings
  • courses
Subjects covered

Alien plant awareness, water conservation awareness, all workers are given an introduction course on program principles

Institution strengthening
Institutions have been strengthened / established
  • no
  • yes, a little
  • yes, moderately
  • yes, greatly
at the following level
  • local
  • regional
  • national
Describe institution, roles and responsibilities, members, etc.
Type of support
  • financial
  • capacity building/ training
  • equipment
Further details
Monitoring and evaluation
technical aspects were regular monitored through measurements socio-cultural aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations economic / production aspects were regular monitored through measurements area treated aspects were regular monitored through measurements management of Approach aspects were regular monitored through measurements There were many changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: External M & E identified many problems in implementation of approach and inefficient operations standards were developed and are being applied. More stress on productivity. More detailed and planned social awareness projects were implemented rather than ad hoc approaches.
Research
Research treated the following topics
  • sociology
  • economics / marketing
  • ecology
  • technology

Biological control research & implementation in certain areas; impact of programme on local communities; cost/benefit of clearing alien plants

Research was carried out both on station and on-farm

Financing and external material support

Annual budget in USD for the SLM component
  • < 2,000
  • 2,000-10,000
  • 10,000-100,000
  • 100,000-1,000,000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: n.a.
Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (national - Department of Water Affairs): 90.0%; international non-government (Municipalities/water board/local authori): 10.0%
The following services or incentives have been provided to land users
  • Financial/ material support provided to land users
  • Subsidies for specific inputs
  • Credit
  • Other incentives or instruments
Financial/ material support provided to land users
partly financed
fully financed
equipment: machinery

Chainsaws

x
equipment: machinery: tools

Slasher

x
Biocides

x
Community infrastructure

x

Labour by land users was

Impact analysis and concluding statements

Impacts of the Approach
No
Yes, little
Yes, moderately
Yes, greatly
Did the Approach help land users to implement and maintain SLM Technologies?

Water management more sustainable and improved biodiversity and decrease erosion

x
Did the Approach improve issues of land tenure/ user rights that hindered implementation of SLM Technologies?

We need a law to enable us to clear trees, the law is still in development and not enforceable as yet. Rely on registrations with landowners. The problem is likely to be overcome in the near future. 2 new laws in pipeline - Agricultural - Natural Resources act & New Water law which will list alien plants as a stream flow reduction activity.

x
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

South Africa National Parks - using alien clearing on their parks to enhance social situation & empowerment

x
Main motivation of land users to implement SLM
Sustainability of Approach activities
Can the land users sustain what hat been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

Conclusions and lessons learnt

Strengths: land user's view
  • Sustainable water supply in drought prone areas (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Bring alien plant invasions to a sustainable/maintenance level to allow landowners minimal input to control them)
  • Increased biodiversity in invaded areas (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Bring alien plant invasions to a sustainable/maintenance level to allow landowners minimal input to control them)
  • Empowerment at local communities (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: WFW is just a kick start for the communities, once they have receive training they are empowered to seek jobs elsewhere)
  • Vehicle for many other departments to reach a large number of people (e.g. for HIV/AIDS awareness, rape/abuse) (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: WFW is just a kick start for the communities, once they have receive training they are empowered to seek jobs elsewhere)
Strengths: compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
  • Sustainable water supply in drought prone areas (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Bring alien plant invasions to a sustainable/maintenance level to allow landowners minimal input to control them)
  • Increased biodiversity in invaded areas (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Bring alien plant invasions to a sustainable/maintenance level to allow landowners minimal input to control them)
  • Empowerment at local communities (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: WFW is just a kick start for the communities, once they have receive training they are empowered to seek jobs elsewhere)
  • Vehicle for many other departments to reach a large number of people (e.g. for HIV/AIDS awareness, rape/abuse) (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: WFW is just a kick start for the communities, once they have receive training they are empowered to seek jobs elsewhere)
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: land user's viewhow to overcome
  • Stop or start the nature of funding - contract workers who never know if they have a job from one year to the next Sustainable funding
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: compiler’s or other key resource person’s viewhow to overcome
  • Lack of planning Sustainable and assured funding will allow for better planning and mapping
  • Lack of adequate alien vegetation maps Sustainable and assured funding will allow for better planning and mapping
  • Lack of national weeds policy Need to mobilise relevant departments to start work
  • Lack of follow-up because of inadequate planning and mapping

References

Compiler
  • Jacqui Coetzee
Editors
Reviewer
  • Fabian Ottiger
Date of documentation: Jan. 14, 2009
Last update: Junie 18, 2017
Resource persons
Full description in the WOCAT database
Linked SLM data
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution Project
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International