2. SUMMARY REPORT
Background and Justification
Ndu subdivision suffers acute water scarcity due to its growing
population. Recently, more irregular rainfall, possibly as a result of
climate change, has worsened the situation. Other factors include the
degeneration of watersheds both as a result of natural processes and
the activities of people. Eucalyptus, plant whose water-sucking ability
is so strong that it is used to reclaim swamps in and important
economic tree crop in the area. Overgrazing and farming have all
reduced the areas limited water resources.
Water scarcity in this part of the country affects more than 78,000
people in 17 villages. Each village is fed by one or several natural
catchments that have all come under threat. Annual and seasonal
water scarcity has become more frequent, more prolonged and
affects more people. Women and children now trek tens of kilometers
to fetch water from the few remaining springs and stream. Bongnjo
Foundation was able to appreciate the reality of the area’s water
crisis when it organized football tournament there between 2008 and
2010.
3. Resolving the water crisis in Ndu will require heavy investment in
storage tanks and pumps.
Goal and Objectives
BF decided to provide an emergency relief to the area’s water
problems by initiating the water catchment regeneration and
protection project. The objective was to improve and preserve water
supply from existing sources in the short term while working on a
more sustainable but cost effective solution. The goal was to plant
thousands of water-friendly trees around catchment areas. The tree
species selected are noted for retaining water in the aquifer and
preventing loss through evapotranspiration.
Key Outcome
To implement the project, BF acquired hundreds of seedlings and
mobilized youth, as well as, community leaders, security chiefs and
administrative officials for a full day of voluntary tree-planting. Eight
hundred seedlings of Prunus africana and wild plums were planted
around five catchment areas in Ndu. More than 250 young people,
who were convinced to suspend their daily activities took part in the
exercise. The sub-divisional officer, the gendarmerie commander and
the commissioner of police all took turns to plant a tree each.
4. Lesson and recommendations
The initiative gave BF experience in community mobilization and built
trust with the local population. Seeing the benefits of the exercise,
the population requested the extension of the operation to other
water catchments and pledged stronger participation. BF has also
received requests from other communities to implement a similar
project. BF thinks that regenerating existing water sources is a short
term solution. The organization plans to introduce water harvesting
techniques in the communities to build on the gains of the pilot
project and increase year-round water availability.
