The Shire River Basin covers over 3.1 million ha and directly or indirectly influences the livelihoods of over 5.5 million people in the southern region of Malawi. The basin is of critical economic importance: it is the source of over 98% of the country’s power generating capacity, supplies water to major urban centres such as Blantyre and Limbe, supports a locally significant artisanal fishery, and supplies irrigation water for valuable crops. Malawi’s economy is based primarily on agriculture, dominated by subsistence and rain-fed food production systems that are greatly challenged by land degradation and declining soil fertility. However, extensive land use including extensive tree felling coupled with bushfires in the Middle and Upper Shire have resulted in severe deforestation, land degradation and soil erosion. Up to 13% of the total forest cover was lost between 1990 and 2005, while 35% of the primary forest cover was lost in the period 2000 – 2005 (Project Document). Forests on customary land are neither controlled nor protected hence they are prone to over-exploitation. Studies have shown that tree species diversity and richness are lower in customary land than in forest reserves and leasehold land (Mwase et al., 2007), confirming the hypothesis that open access lands are not compatible with conservation of tree and shrubs. Grazing is also intensive on grasslands of floodplains, near lakes and streams and wetlands. All this has led to dramatic land degradation in the Shire basin resulting in reduced productivity of the land, flooding and siltation of river which, in turn, has increased the cost of electricity generation and water purification. Data from the Southern Regional Water Board show that the cost of treating water increases between 8 to 10 times duringthe wet season compared with dry season. Free run-off during the rains has resulted in nutrient overload in the river and supported growth of weeds such as water hyacinth. Removing these weeds and soil from the water which would cause frequent breakages of equipment, significantly increasesthe cost of purification. Similarly, the total remedial cost associated with the degradation incurred by the electricity supply company at its three power stations on the Shire (Nkula, Tedzani and Kapichira stations) is estimated to be around US$ 959, 615 each year. Other studies reported that in addition ESCOM looses over 1.1 million dollars per year in “lost revenue” due to power outage caused by broken machinery, silt, weeds and trash related to land degradation. Studies further estimated that consumers lose about US$ 223,214 per year substituting electricity and/or replacing broken down equipment due to power surges. Payment for Ecosystems Services (PES) offers economic incentives to foster more efficient and sustainable use of ecosystem services. Farmers in Shire River basin can earn financial incentives through the sale of green water credits (GWC). Green Water Credits is a mechanism to reward land users for specified soil and water management activities that increase “green” water, thus increasing the supply of fresh water. ESCOM, the Southern Water Board (SWB) and the Blantyre Water Body (BWB) have expressed their interest to pay the land managers in the Shire water catchment for the adoption of practices that increase infiltration (Green Water) to reduce run-off (Brown Water) and the consequent siltation of the river. However, institutional arrangements for effective PES, e.g. a Green Water Credit Scheme are not only absent, but they are also unknown. This is manifested by the following barriers: ¨ Water management, as presently undertaken by water authorities, is essentially surface-water management instead of management of the whole resource. ¨ Water management by farmers and livestock owners is incidental; since they are paid for their crops and livestock, not for delivering water. ¨ Land users have limited awareness of the linkages between land management and watershed health and functionality and are largely unaware of the downstream effects of their activities neither have they ever been made to account of the bad impacts on the downstream. ¨ Land users often cannot afford to implement best practice in the short term, since the costs are greater than the returns. ¨ Land and water rights are not sufficiently attractive to motivate investment in green water management. ¨ The individual or community land holding boundaries do not coincide with the micro or macro catchment boundaries hence the current land management is not done on a watershed/catchment basis. ¨ Unclear boundaries of water catchments for the purposes of a PES ¨ Unclear timeline and scale of improved practices to make a significant reduction in siltation and costs. ¨ Unclear of how some of costs and benefits of such schemes would be passed on, ¨ The disparity of how a group of land owners/users/ would organize themselves to identify, implement and adhere to a agreed PES scheme ¨ Unclear of how and to whom payments would be channeled e.g. payments to individual farmers or payment through community projects such as roads, clinics, schools, etc.. In order to address the above issues, Government and UNDP/GEF developed the Private Public Sector Partnership Project on Sustainable Land Management (SLM Project) in the Shire River Basin with the goal being theprovision of the basis for economic development, food security and sustainable livelihoods while restoring the ecological integrity of the River shire Basin”. Specifically, the objective is: “To reduce land degradation in the Shire River Basin through improved institutional, policy and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) arrangements.” The objectives will be achieved through 4 key outcomes:
The project is focussing on the middle and lower Shire river basin. Lessons learnt will be up-scaled to the entire Basin through the planned River Shire Development Authority. This four-year programme is coordinated by the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) of the Ministry Natural Resources, Energy & Environment. Implementation is taking place in Blantyre, Neno, Balaka and Mwanza districts involving local authorities and stakeholders, as well as the departments of forestry, energy, Climate Change & Meteorological Services, Land Resources Conservation, Extension, Water and Planning. Linkages with the private such as ESCOM, Blantyre Water Board, Southern Region Water Board, as well as NGOs will be established as well.
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Duties and Responsibilities | |
The present assignment has been initiated by EAD in order to assist in developing an appropriate Green Water Credit scheme which can be implemented in the Shire River Basin. This would reduce the costs of electricity generation and water purification to the country. The assignment comprises of the following tasks:
Identify potential buyers and sellers: Potential sellers (including the charcoal burners):Potential buyers:
Define the supply of the ecosystems services:
Define a clear management and business plan for the effective implementation of the PES that addresses such issues as:
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Competencies | |
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Required Skills and Experience | |
Education:
Experience:
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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. |
DEVELOPMENT OF A GREEN WATER CREDIT SCHEME IN THE SHIRE RIVER BASIN
DEVELOPMENT OF A GREEN WATER CREDIT SCHEME IN THE SHIRE RIVER BASIN
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