Overview

Much of the activities during this quarter centered on the SO2 Strategic Assessment Mission and preparation of a working paper for programming activities under the final workplan of the cooperative agreement.

Program I: Expand Environmental Monitoring Technologies

Component One: Catchment Monitoring

Participant training

Integration of Monitoring, Mitigation and Policy Reform Initiatives USAID requested that the Malawi Agroforestry Extension Project, Smallholder Agribusiness Project and Malawi Environmental Monitoring Program propose a method to demonstrate linkages between the three programs. The three project managers met numerous times and prepared a strategy largely based on the earlier Concept Paper for an Integrated NRM Approach with a Model Case in the Shire River Basin which would use the location of the six agribusiness centers of SADP to target field based activities. Washington State University provided short term technical assistance to prepare a proposal which was presented to USAID in June.

Indicators and achievement of results

No indicators have been developed for this period.

Component Two: Develop Prototype Environmental Information System

Social explanations of environmental change One aspect of the EIS is the use of geographic information systems and remote sensing (GIS/RS) to help detect and quantify key environmental indicators such as forest cover loss or soil erosion hazards. To inform policy and mitigation strategies, however, GIS/RS analysis needs to be linked to social analysis of the local, regional, national, and international causes of environmental issues. A report was prepared which describes an effort to link macro GIS/RS analysis with socio-economic analysis that examines environmental problems from micro, community-based perspectives on up to national level processes, to assist in informing interventions at scales ranging from the community to national levels. The report was written based on field work in the Neno EPA of Mwanza District completed by Clark University, the Department of Forestry and Bunda College.

The objectives of this report were: 1) To describe a replicable methodology that links macro-scale GIS/RS analysis with micro- scale community-based analysis for environmental decision making; 2) To situate the information collected by such a methodology within a conceptual framework that provides both theoretical grounding and a means to make the analysis accessible to policy makers and mitigation strategists; and, 3) To provide case study examples of two communities within an environmentally critical district of Malawi

Recruitment of EIS Team Leader After only receiving two responses to the original advertisement for the EIS Team Leader, the Environmental Affairs Department re-advertised the position and three qualified candidates were invited for interviews from which one candidate from the Land Resources and Conservation Department was selected.

Environmental and Natural Resource Management Database In 1994 USAID supported an inventory of Natural Resource Management Activities in Malawi. A three volume report was produced from analysis of data entered into a spreadsheet. In 1996 the spreadsheet files were converted to a database format and a custom application was developed to demonstrate how projects could be monitored using the original dataset from the NRM Inventory. During this quarter funds were secured using both NATURE and World Bank funding to: 1) complete database development, 2) design a database management system and, 3) update the 1994 inventory of environment and natural resource projects in Malawi.

The Environment/Natural Resource Projects Database Management System is seen as a key component to assisting the Environmental Affairs Department, the Coordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE) and the Donor Coordination Committee in better integrating and managing the many diverse activities currently under way to address environmental issues in Malawi.

While the overall purpose of this activity is to track and monitor environmental projects in Malawi, it will also assist in the development of the organization of information as part of Malawi’s Environmental Information System. A key output from the EIS will be Situation Analysis Reports on major environmental issues in the country and regular district and national state of the environment reporting.

The objectives of the development of the E/NRM database are to: 1) To assist co-ordination activities under the ESP in the Policy and Planning Unit, 2) To provide an inventory and source of monitoring data for the Environmental Information System, 3) To distribute a database on environmental and natural resource activities to the private sector, NGO and donor communities, 4) To develop a meta-database on what information is gathered and available through environment/NRM projects, and 5) To provide links to individual project data.

Presentation for targeting mitigation for World Bank The Director of Environmental Affairs and the Coordinator of the Environmental Micro-Projects went to Washington to attend a conference on community based natural resource management. As one of the objectives of the EIS is to link information with mitigation in the Shire River Basin through the Environmental Micro-Projects, MEMP Technical Advisor prepared a presentation to demonstrate the use of remote sensing data analysis to target environmental 'hot spots' as possible interventions sites in three watersheds of the Shire.

Indicators and achievement of results

(From the World Bank logframe for the EIS under the Environmental Management Program) The Database application, DBMS and Inventory of Projects all commenced during the quarter.

Component Three: Public Lands Utilization Study (PLUS)

Prototype Environmental Information System (EIS)
Middle Shire Analysis

Contribution of the Arizona Remote Sensing Center (ARSC), University of Arizona, Tucson

Transition: PLUS to the Prototype EIS

ArcView project and MS Access metadata development were completed for PLUS – all data were transitioned into the format and standards required by the prototype EIS. The data were delivered to 10 agencies in Malawi participating in EIS development or directly involved in the land reform programme.

Participant Training

Four individuals central to EIS development efforts in Malawi participated in a Spatial and Temporal Modeling of Land Cover Conditions Course conducted in Tucson between 25 May and 30 June 1998. The training covered remote sensing and image processing fundamentals, metadata management, land cover change mapping, geographic information systems (GIS) spatial analysis, spatial modeling, data presentation, data interpretation, and report writing. The GIS portion focused primarily on vector analysis and included cartographic acquisition, topological construction, feature attribute tables, database theory and design, normalization, preprocessing, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), and vertical integration. The modeling included union of two layers, DEM design and creation, watershed delineation, agricultural suitability (LREP standard), erosion hazard (modified SLEMSA standard), and land cover change. The participants included:

• Patrick S. Jambo, Department of Forestry
• Geoffrey C. Mzembe, Department of Surveys
• Mesheck L.M. Kapila, Department of Land Resources Conservation
• Vincent A.L. Mkandawire, Department of Land Resources Conservation

They returned to Malawi with the final CD ROM dataset for PLUS (5 spatial and one metadata CD for each agency), all of the raw Landsat TM 1984 and 1994 imagery, and all the atmospherically and radiometrically corrected as well as georectified data noted in the second table below. The participants used actual Middle Shire prototype EIS data and wrote a report summarizing their activities and a number of findings critical to EIS development.

They also initiated several individual projects on areas outside those currently under focus in the Middle Shire Analysis. These efforts continued into July 1998 and will be reported in detail in the next quarterly report.

Middle Shire Analysis

ARSC has been working in conjunction with the Department of Surveys, the Land Resources Conservation Department, and Forestry to capture the spatial data necessary for analysis of erosion hazard in the Middle Shire. For Blantyre and Machinga ADDs, these efforts progressed rapidly in anticipation of the participant training. During the training several critical issues concerning the base soils and land cover data layers were evaluated in detail. The primary result is that all completed work on these two critical layers must be reevaluated with respect to fundamental problems with original data. The participants agreed to discuss options with their respective agencies upon their return to Malawi.

Summary of Prototype EIS Spatial Data Development

*The completion of QA/QC of these data layers with the assistance of Malawian participants in the May-June training revealed fundamental problems in the original data. In the case of LREP soils, the soil categories along with edges of separate map sheets do not consistently match (and in many cases are dramatically different). In the case of Satellibild’s 1991 Land Cover map, there appears to be a registration or projection error that has resulted in a 1-3 km shift in where the land cover classes fall relative to the original images the classes were derived from. Experts from key Malawian EIS agencies are discussing options for addressing these problems.

** Erosion hazard modeling was conducted during the May-June training, however the discovery of fundamental problems in the original data (particularly land cover) led the participants to suggest a systematic review prior to issuing any modeling products for the Middle Shire Analysis.

Image processing activities for south central Malawi

All of Malawi is covered by 11 Landsat Thematic Images. The south-central region, including the Middle Shire, is captured by the four images covering territory physically north of Ngabu ADD. Using Landsat imagery nomenclature, these are named by satellite path/row as follows:

P168/R070 P167/R070
P168/R071 P167/R071

The raw imagery must undergo a series of preprocessing steps before it can be used in the development of products such as land cover maps. These were completed for these four scenes and the images were delivered by the participant trainees to Malawi.

The trainees also conducted unsupervised and supervised classification of a portion of these images as part of their training. They created land cover maps, conducted changed detection, and then reviewed their criteria selection process, both for classification and valuation of change.

Developments on Analysis Methods

The GIS model used to evaluate erosion hazard in PLUS was based on the modified SLEMSA model used in LREP. The GIS application of this model has been fine-tuned to improve its application in the Middle Shire Analysis. Algorithms have also been developed to facilitate the projection of point data such as the location of Department of Meteorology weather stations in Malawi.

National Data Updates

The development of the prototype EIS necessarily has impact on data layers that already exist at the national level. The national boundary has been revised to incorporate the greater detail resulting from the Middle Shire Analysis data capture. It was discovered that the FAO soils map had a vertical integration problem that has been corrected. The LREP agroclimatic zones also proved to have topological problems that have been corrected for the prototype EIS.

Component Four: NDVI Time Series Analysis and Interpretation

Indicators and achievement of results

No activities were scheduled to be completed during this period.

Component Five: Area Sample Frame in Machinga ADD

Meeting of parties to discuss ASF at LRCD

Indicators and achievement of results

No activities were scheduled to be completed during this period.

Program Two: Strengthen Environmental Training and Research

Component Two

Participant Training Schedule

Notes from the Environmental Advisor

Develop an Environmental Science Curriculum (UNIMA)
Identify External Training Courses
External training
Internal training
Strengthen GIS technical capacity
UNIMA Small Grants Research Program
Strengthen MEMP Small Watershed Research Component
Specialized Training on Key Environmental Issues
Small Catchment Research
Large Catchment Research
Indicators and achievement of results

Program Three: Strengthen Environmental Policy, Legislation Development, and Institutional Capacity

General remarks

Towards the end of April the GoM budget planning exercise intensified prior to the publication of the budget for debate by Parliament in June. The EPA attended many of the budget meetings, particularly those involving the Departments of Forestry, Fisheries, Environmental Affairs and National Parks and Wildlife, and made repeated attempts to encourage the MoF to leave sufficient flexibility in the budget ceilings to permit the Special Account (agreement to which remained verbal only) to function. At the time of reporting the budget, although "approved" by Parliament, remained extremely confused and indeterminate, and it was not yet possible to report success or failure.

Early in April Mrs. Yanira Ntupanyama (Senior Environmental Officer, P7), recently recruited to the EAD, was appointed as counterpart to the EPA, a most welcome move. Mrs Ntupanyama also has responsibility for activities related to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNDP). In June, she was promoted to Principal Environmental Officer (P7).

2. Substantive work program

Financing for the Composite Action Plan for review and reform of policies, institutional roles and legislation for E/NRM.

In the change of the GoM's fiscal year from April/March to July/June, a move made for better compatibility with the agricultural cycle, the period April-June 1998 was treated as a "fifth" quarter of the year 1997/98. Each budget line was sustained on a monthly rate equivalent to one twelfth of the 97/98 approved budget. Consequently, funding for the Action Plan continued, although at the rate of approximately half that administered previously (since the "approved" budget for this item was for a half-year period). In general, this was sufficient to allow implementation of the Action Plan to continue, since most actions had been budgeted for completion by the end of March.

A meeting was held with Gracian Banda and Ernest Makawa on April 27^th to discuss the practicalities of the impending study on the legal aspects of land use. It was agreed that since extensive field consultation (especially with Traditional Authorities) was required, this part of the study would be supported financially by NATURE/UoA project funds. Field work commenced on May 27^th, and the study is expected to be completed in July.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Land Policy Reform completed a draft report at the end of April, although this had not been distributed by the end of the quarter. The draft presents the Commission's findings but does not include recommendations, this section being scheduled for completion after four workshops (three regional and one national) have been held, probably in September. The MoLHPS reviewed and commented on the draft report during the first week of June.

The EPA formed part of a steering committee to guide a study into the emerging estate crisis, with committee meetings in May and June and regular contact with the consultancy team. The crisis appears to have been precipitated initially by competitive interactions generated by burley liberalization, but this has now been overtaken by low world market prices for both flue and burley tobacco.

The Protected Areas Working Group met on May 12^th to receive presentations by the Directors of Forestry and National Parks and Wildlife on their recent meetings with the IMFN in the US and Canada. The Directors identified two areas for initial development: a high-pressure area centred on Liwonde National Park and Mangochi and Liwonde Forest Reserves, and a low-pressure area centred on the eastern slopes of Nyika and the adjoining lakeshore escarpment. The Forestry Department will take the lead in communications with the IMFN and donors, although the DNPW will provide full technical support. Mr. Matthias von Bechtolsheim, GTZ advisor to DNPW, was elected the new chairman of the Working Group.

Soon after the return on 9^th April of the Directors of National Parks and Wildlife and Forestry from IMFN meetings in the US and Canada, the PS for MoFFEA, David Kambauwa, wrote to the IMFN formally expressing Malawi's desire to attain membership. In response, the IMFN Secretariat, CIDA and IDRC proposed a joint mission to Malawi at the end of May. The mission was in the field from May 27th to June 2nd, this period including visits to the Liwonde/Mangochi areas to view protected areas and meet GoM field staff, the Liwonde NP Advisory Committee and village NRM committees. The team members (Ron Ayling, IMFNS; David Brooks, IDRC, and Roger Roome, CIDA) viewed the mission as highly successful, and subsequently IDRC has offered support funding for on-site investigations prior to MF start-up. It was learned in June however that CIDA has since withdrawn as the primary donor for this initiative, and financial support for the MF (principally for institutional development in the customary areas and for the maintenance of a small facilitation unit) must now be sought elsewhere.

A two-day meeting was held on April 27^th-28^th to discuss the concept of collaborative management in the wildlife sector. The meeting was financed through the Environment Management Project (IDA) and resulted in the drafting of guidelines which were finalized in May after circulation and comment. This was followed on May 14^th-15^th by a second meeting to explore broader institutional issues, including the relationships between DNPW, the private sector and NGOs and a long-term vision for DNPW's role. This meeting resulted in the production of a brief review report drafted by the facilitator, Prof. Marvin Kambuwa, and also a number of amendments to the draft wildlife policy. The latter may now be considered final pending Cabinet approval.

An initial review of wildlife legislation was conducted by Dr. Tracy Dobson of Michigan State University from June (supported by NATURE/UoA Project funds). The drafting of amendments and subsidiary legislation will be undertaken as a three-month local consultancy as soon as a suitably experienced lawyer is identified, with amendments to be presented to Parliament before the end of the year.

The Fisheries Department completed the drafting of "A guide to the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, 1997" in April. It is intended to translate this English version into Chichewa for widespread distribution.

On April 21^st the EPA and Mrs Ntupanyama visited Nkhotakota to meet fishermens' representative groups which had formed spontaneously in an attempt to secure better local-level fisheries management. This provided the opportunity to discuss issues which will be of importance in the development of subsidiary legislation. One group, which had taken on the responsibility for outreach work with the aim of forming a representative fishermens' association for the whole of Nkhotakota District, was assisted in the drafting of an application for support (transport, exchange visit to Lake Malombe Fishermen's Association) to the IDA Community Environmental Microprojects Fund.

Also in April a UNEP consultancy exercise to develop fisheries subsidiary legislation commenced. This had not been completed by the end of June, since further technical consultations were necessary.

Consultants Mvalo & Co. were engaged by the Ministry of Water Development to carry out reviews of water resources policy and legislation, it being felt that the same team should work on both water and irrigation issues. Work was due to commence as soon as the review of the irrigation sector was substantially complete, probably early in July.

Irrigation policy and legislation

A draft irrigation policy document produced by consultants Mvalo & Co. was reviewed by the EPA, who sent detailed comments to the Controller of Irrigation Services. A subsequent draft was received at the end of the quarter. The EPA attended a meeting of the Irrigation Policy Task Force on June 25^th to review a draft Irrigation Bill. There were a great many problems with this document, and it was sent back for extensive re-working.

The EPA and Mrs Ntupanyama met with Dr. Ellard Malindi on April 20^th and subsequently on April 29^th in an attempt to bring the policy work undertaken by a number of the Ministry's Departments to a conclusion. It was learned that the MoAI's Strategy and Action Plan (the closest the Ministry has to a unified policy document) was to be extensively revised over the coming months with technical assistance provided by APRU. It was agreed that APRU's terms of reference would be broadened if necessary to ensure that all environmental aspects of agriculture policy were fully explored, and policy work already accomplished at Departmental level incorporated.

The EPA has maintained close contact with the Soil Fertility Initiative spearheaded by FAO and is in correspondence with FAO consultant Francis Shaxson. An approach to improving soil fertility which is based on a better understanding of soil processes and on-farm decision making is more likely to succeed than repeated exhortation to conserve soil and water, and it is regrettable that this initiative has been linked to the EU's APIP project and the WB/Rockefeller "starter pack" scheme.

Consultants for the policy/institutions/legal reviews were appointed during May, and the three-month study commenced in mid-June.

The donors E/NRM Committee met twice during the quarter: on May 21^st, when Dr. Peter Mwanza and Dr. Eston Sambo discussed the operations of the National Council for the Environment, and on June 18^th, when Jennifer Graham made a presentation on the GTZ Nyika/Vwaza Border Zone Project.

Editing of the current ESP draft was completed by the EPA on May 25^th, and the document circulated for review. Comments were incorporated by June 29^th, and the final document handed over to EAD for publication. Contracts with TPT Management Systems Ltd to complete and update the database of E/NRM initiatives were substantially completed by the end of June, with full feedback received from more than 75% of 86 institutions contacted and all data entered into the database. Finalization and training are expected to be accomplished by the end of July. A GoM/donor round-table meeting is scheduled for late August 1998.

At a meeting held in MoF on May 12^th between key members of the Working Group, MoF, USAID and UNDP a way forward for Endowment Trust initiative was satisfactorily resolved. It was agreed to negotiate with Carl Bruessow to act as coordinator for a period of six months (Mr Bruessow was the highest ranked candidate in the earlier round of interviews but was at that time unavailable), and MoF agreed to provide adequate financial support on receipt of a budget and workplan. Mr. Bruessow started his assignment on June 1^st, and a subsequent meeting of the Working Group in Blantyre on June 30^th was well attended and productive. The Group now plans to have a trust deed, constitution and background paper/operations manual in place by the end of 1998.

Paramount Chief Inkosi ya Makhosi M'mbelwa IV, an active participant in Malawi's wildlife policy and institutional reviews and elected representative of traditional leadership in the regional SADC/NRM Project, has presented a proposal to bring together all of Malawi's Paramount Chiefs, Chiefs and Sub-Chiefs in a series of meetings to redefine the roles of TAs in the new E/NRM policy environment, possibly leading to the creation of a regular E/NRM forum for traditional leaders. TAs are expected to play a critical role in the devolution of natural resource tenure and management, and in the improvement of land management, and this proposal deserves strong support. It is intended initially to finance the first four meetings as a joint venture between NATURE/UoA and USAID's SO5 team. The EPA met with the PS for District Administration on June 24^th to gauge OPC's response to this initiative, which was constructive and positive, the next steps being to discuss operational issues with all parties and give formal notice to the political leadership through EAD and OPC.

3. Indicators and achievement of results

Assist with interpretation of National Environmental Policy and Environment Management Act Specific comments were made concerning the environmental aspects of a draft irrigation policy (May 1998) and a draft Irrigation Bill (June 1998).

Support EAD in the monitoring of sectoral policy and legal reforms to ensure compatibility with the National Environmental Policy and Environment Management Act Liaison was maintained with the following agencies, each of which were active in policy or legal reform this quarter: MoLHPS; MoFFEA; MoTPW; MoWD; MoAI; DLG.

Assist line agencies, USAID and other donors to identify and make operational a funding mechanism for the GoM action plan for policy, institutional and legal reform in the environmental/natural resource management sectors. GOM financing for the action plan continued through June 1998. All policy/legal work scheduled for the coming financial year was included in the 1998/99 budget planning process.

Assist line agencies in implementing action plans. Technical support was provided to policy initiatives in the fisheries, wildlife, land and agricultural sectors.

Finalize the Environmental Support Programme using the Results Framework methodology. Final editing of the revised ESP document was completed by the EPA in June, and substantial progress made on the E/NRM database as an aid to donor coordination.

Design and establish a monitoring and coordination mechanism within the Environmental Affairs Department. The P7 post in EAD's Policy and Planning Division was filled by the appointment of Mrs. Y. Ntupanyama, promoted to P7 in June. Mrs. Ntupanyama will receive training in the use and revision of the E/NRM database during July 1998.

Support line ministries and departments in formulation of E/NRM programs for consideration for PBBS support. Budget lines in the 1998/99 MTEF budgets for the Departments of Forestry, Fisheries, National Parks and Wildlife, Environmental Affairs and Land Resources and Conservation were identified for targeted support via the proposed "Special Account". The extent to which these could satisfy the requirements of the PBBS remain unclear until the operational modalities of the Special Account are determined.

Assist Endowment Trust Working Group to assess legal, financial, organizational dimensions of establishing a national endowment for E/NRM activities. A new Working Group Coordinator was appointed on June 1st and the Working Group is once again fully functional. A workplan and budget for the coming six months have been drafted, and final design of the Endowment Trust management is targeted for completion before the end of 1998.

For more information about work done during this period, please see:

• February - May, 1998 Clark University Trip Report
• The Clark University Component, March 1998