Transforming agriculture, water management and livelihoods in Malawi
Tiyeni is very proud to be the lead partner on a five-year Global Innovation Fund funded project to transform agriculture, water management and livelihoods in the Zambezi Watercourse region of northern Malawi. Working with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) as our watershed research partner, we will be able to provide on-the-ground training to farmers, supervise project outcomes and collect data for impact measurement.
Unsustainable land use and farming practices are endangering the environment and impacting water quality and availability. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, predominantly in rural regions where land is a primary source of income for millions of people. Those who rely on rainfed agriculture, in particular, face heightened vulnerability to climate change. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Zambezi River basin, where environmental degradation, particularly in watersheds, adversely affects livelihoods. Many rely on low-productivity, rain-fed agriculture, leading to food security issues and heightened vulnerability to climate change.
Unsustainable land use and farming practices are endangering the environment and impacting water quality and availability. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, predominantly in rural regions where land is a primary source of income for millions of people. Those who rely on rainfed agriculture, in particular, face heightened vulnerability to climate change. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Zambezi River basin, where environmental degradation, particularly in watersheds, adversely affects livelihoods. Many rely on low-productivity, rain-fed agriculture, leading to food security issues and heightened vulnerability to climate change.
The Lunyangwa project model has the potential to change the livelihoods of millions in Malawi, where 80% depend on low-productivity agriculture, and in the Zambezi watercourse, where 65-70% rely on rain-fed agriculture. By supporting farmers to adopt sustainable land use practices and participate in ecosystem and environmental conservation, we anticipate multiple benefits, including better water conservation, improved resilience to climate change, poverty alleviation and enhanced food security.
The Lunyangwa Project is a strategic five-year initiative that lays the groundwork for a future watershed-oriented incentive mechanism - a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot. This mechanism will be deployed first in the northern part of Malawi, benefiting 120,000 Malawian farmers within the Lunyangwa river basin. The selected farmers will serve as service providers, committing to sustainable farming and land management as well as catchment conservation activities.
In return, they will receive remuneration from the Northern Region Water Board based on the quantifiable impact of their services on water quality and availability and other environmental benefits. This water stewardship model has the potential to be upscaled across the Zambezi watercourse region, improving water and food security at scale.
Working alongside four other project partners as the implementation partner, Tiyeni’s role includes providing training to farmers, supervising project outcomes and collecting data for impact measurement. Tiyeni’s Executive Director, Alex Gerard, sees this very much as an extension of the work that we are already doing.
The Lunyangwa Project is a strategic five-year initiative that lays the groundwork for a future watershed-oriented incentive mechanism - a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot. This mechanism will be deployed first in the northern part of Malawi, benefiting 120,000 Malawian farmers within the Lunyangwa river basin. The selected farmers will serve as service providers, committing to sustainable farming and land management as well as catchment conservation activities.
In return, they will receive remuneration from the Northern Region Water Board based on the quantifiable impact of their services on water quality and availability and other environmental benefits. This water stewardship model has the potential to be upscaled across the Zambezi watercourse region, improving water and food security at scale.
Working alongside four other project partners as the implementation partner, Tiyeni’s role includes providing training to farmers, supervising project outcomes and collecting data for impact measurement. Tiyeni’s Executive Director, Alex Gerard, sees this very much as an extension of the work that we are already doing.
This project represents an exciting evolution of the impact of Deep Bed Farming, not only for communities but for the wider environment. We have always known the power of smallholder farmers to reduce soil erosion and improve water collection through farming, and this project will provide the evidence that showcases this impact. Watershed management is critical to the long-term sustainability of food and water for communities and habitats.
The work will fall within the remit of France Gondwe, our Project Manager. He said:
With this project Tiyeni will not only help farmers increase their crop yield and help Lunyangwa watershed management but will also be able to help enrich the national policy discussion.
Deep Bed Farming can accommodate a maize legume intercrop of up to six crops all at more than double yield of conventional farming versus three crops intercropping under conventional farming. At the same time as enhancing food and income security amongst smallholder farmers, Deep Bed Farming can also hold runoff from rainfall and control soil erosion. When coupled with physical land management structures and agroforestry, the Lunyangwa Project will be able to generate significant benefits at catchment level which can then be shared with other catchment areas.
The Lunyangwa Project will have policy level engagement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water and the Ministry of Environment. Tiyeni will also be able to reach the water service providers in other regions in Malawi, the Hydro-electricity generating companies, the road authority and any other service providers interested in controlling the soil erosion, rainwater flooding and food security.
Tiyeni will cherish this project for a long time as it will spur us to higher levels of data collection, and lead to the publication of reports in scientific journals putting Deep Bed Farming in the public domain.
One of the key outcomes in five years’ time will be securing governmental support for Community-Centred Watershed Management through appropriate policies and public investments to scale through Payment for Environment Services (PES) across Malawi.