The Convention to Combat Desertification
Swaziland National Action Programme

SECTION 5: EMERGING ISSUES

5.0 Introduction

The establishment of the National Steering Committee on Desertification (NSCD) facilitated the initial phase of consultation and awareness raising on the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification. A working document was also compiled for the NAP (Ndlovu, 1997) and used as a basis for group and plenary discussions during the First National Forum held in September 1997. The forum identified and prioritised fourteen issues that need to be addressed for the effective implementation of the NAP. Relationships to other on-going programmes and responsible institutions for the implementation of the activities were also identified at the National Forum. Below is a detailed description of the key issues that were recommended and prioritised by the Forum. It will be noted that some of the issues have been re-arranged to accommodate overlaps and for effective implementation of the NAP. The issues have been developed into the programme areas expounded in Section 6.

5.1. Proper institutional framework for dealing with desertification

Within the country there are several institutions that deal with land issues. These are the Central Rural Development Board, Land Development Section, Land-use Planning Section (all under MOAC) and Natural Resources Board (under MNRE). With the exception of the NRB whose mandate is the management of natural resources in urban areas, all the institutions are responsible for various land issues in rural areas. The responsibilities of these boards are the implementation of the RDAP, design of irrigation schemes and construction of rural roads, construction of earth dams, and land allocation according to capabilities. Considering the integrated nature of the responsibilities of these boards, the forum felt these boards should be merged to form a Land Management Division within (MOAC). It was proposed that the Land Use Planning Section should provide technical expertise to the division and other agencies on all activities under the NAP. A co-ordination unit for all CCD activities also needs to be established within the Land Management Division. To effectively do this, the Division will need a larger resource base. In rural areas land allocations are the responsibility of local conservation committees (Imisumphe). These committees must work in consultation with the proposed Land Management Division and CCD Co-ordination Unit. to avoid irregularities in the allocation of land.

5.2. Chieftaincy and chiefdom boundary disputes

Disputes within and between Chiefs in the country are noted to hamper development and the implementation of projects and programmes in affected areas. The origins of chieftancy disputes encompass the complex system on the choice of a successor following the death of an appointed chief to poorly demarcated boundaries between chiefdoms. Basically, there are two forms of disputes in the country; (a) disputes over the rightful chief and (b) disputes over boundaries. The debate on who is the rightful chief is a long standing issue. In 1970, King Sobhuza (II) appointed a commission to address this question. Unfortunately the report of this commission was never publicised (Patrick, 1988). The forum suggested that chiefdom boundaries must be clearly demarcated and documented. The need to document the roles and responsibilities of chiefs was also emphasised including documentation and dissemination of information on the criteria, laws and procedures pertaining to the choice of successor to the wider public. A register of all chiefs must be kept and up-dated on a continuous basis. This can be done through consultations with the chiefs and other traditional community authorities countrywide. Traditional authorities have an important role to play in the enforcement of policies and programmes hence the success of any process depends on a speedy resolution of the Chieftaincy disputes.

5.3. Awareness and capacity building

Noted at the forum is that Swaziland has a paucity of soil and water conservation experts. The few conservation experts are based at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives. There are no field officers that can promote soil conservation in rural areas. Existing extension workers and veterinary officers are mainly trained on crop production and livestock production and disease control respectively. The forum felt that trained soil and water conservation specialists should be posted to all four regions of the country. Suitable course modules on soil and water conservation also need to be developed for extension officers and community training at the Tinkhundla centres and chiefdoms. Environmental education also needs to be integrated in the formal education curricula. The training materials have to emphasise the importance of both "scientific" and indigenous knowledge techniques for combating desertification as outline in Article 19 paragraph 1(d) of the convention.

5.4. Community participation at grass-root level

Communities must be sensitised on the consequences of land degradation and encouraged to participate actively in land management programmes at grass-root level. This approach is also emphasised in the convention (Article 3 (a)) and it is the recipe for a long-term solution to combating desertification. Grassroot (local) communities have to participate at project identification, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. To achieve this, the NAP process will accommodate the ideas of local communities, the youth and other relevant organisations.

5.5. Reclamation and rehabilitation of degraded lands

Land degradation in the country is so severe that crop and livestock productivity levels are affected. It is estimated that over 55% of communal grazing land on Swazi Nation Land, can hardly produce 100 kg of dry matter per hectare per year. The severity of land degradation is demonstrated by the widespread gullies, rills and sheet erosion. With increasing population and demand for more land by competing land uses, the problem of soil erosion has grown worse (Osunade, 1994). As a result of soil erosion, sediment yield in the drainage systems of the country have increased resulting in diminishing water supply and fish populations. For example, Pitman (1977) as quoted by Osunade (1994), notes that sediment yield is about 8 tonnes /ha/yr in the highveld and middleveld, 10 tonnes/ha/yr in the lowveld the yield and 4 tonnes/ha/year in the Lubombo region. With the use of agricultural chemicals, soil pollution is also inevitable. To solve these problems, an effective soil and water conservation unit must be established. This unit must facilitate the return of eroded land into production and encourage the implementation of soil and water conservation measures in rural areas.

5.6. Sustainable utilisation of land resources

The manner in which land resources are utilised in the country is not sustainable. Land is improperly allocated to different land uses and in some cases there is no land for grazing purposes. Part of the cause for improper land allocation, is the country's land tenure system and the rapid population growth rate. In 1994/95, it was estimated that only 100400 ha is available for settlements and cultivation for a population of 595 000 people on SNL. This encourages the occupation of marginal lands and further degradation of the land. Concerning grazing, most rural areas in Swaziland are overstocked and this also contributes to land degradation through overgrazing. It is important to revise land allocations and explore strategies to control livestock and human population numbers in the country. Sufficient technical capacity needs to be developed and engaged to assist in the preparation of land-use capability plans for all catchments. These plans must be drafted in consultation with all stakeholders, including communities. Women have an important role to play as farm managers hence they should be actively involved in all the activities and project stages. There is also a strong need for the management of catchments and monitoring of water conservation structures in the different river systems.

5.7. Research and technology development

Although it is known that the middleveld and lowveld are highly degraded due to overgrazing and poor land management, there is need for intensive research on land degradation issues in the country. The soil erosion potential of the country needs to be established before prioritisation of soil conservation strategies. Research on the most effective and appropriate technology to combat desertification is also a must for the success of the programme. Proposed research activities should include an examination of the underlying causes of desertification and poverty and how best to address these. The effectiveness of existing soil and water conservation structures also needs to be evaluated and reviewed.

5.8 Proper siting and construction of infrastructure

Improper siting and construction of infrastructure contributes to land degradation in Swaziland. There is need to prepare detailed land use capability maps and to encourage the use of land according to its capabilities. Operators need to be encouraged to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments and implement comprehensive monitoring and mitigation plans prior to the siting and construction of infrastructure. The EIAs must not only concentrate on the physical environment but also the socio-economic environment too. In the selection of possible resettlement areas where the need arises, the local conservation committees (Imisumphe), Land Management Division and the CCD Co-ordination Unit should be activity involved.

5.9. Tree cutting and indiscriminate land clearing

There are no regulations and guidelines on the cutting of trees and land clearance in the country. As a result, deforestation is on the increase in Swaziland and this situation needs to be addressed urgently. The environmental impacts of these activities are manifested in severe soil erosion and water depletion. People cut trees for woodfuel, building purposes and craft. There is need to develop and encourage the use of alternative energy sources in the country. Accessible alternative building materials need to be explored to reduce the effects of tree cutting. Furthermore, strategies for commercial wood cutters (e.g. for craft and building purposes) also need to be examined with local traditional authorities. This may include the imposition of penalties to be enforced by local traditional authorities where legislation has been flouted.

5.10. Improvement of livestock management practices

A livestock policy has been adopted by Swaziland. This policy is meant to deal with land issues. Within the NAP, effective strategies on land management need to be developed in line with the adopted livestock policy. Critical areas include a review of the number and location of dipping tanks, promotions of small ruminants and other alternative meat production systems, promotion of cattle sales and the use of alternative feeding schemes (e.g. feedlots) as well as the review and improvement of government sisa and fattening ranches. Sustanability of the programmes will depend on information dissemination, capacity building and awareness. As such, periodic workshops, seminars and information leaflets are a necessity. These should not be conducted for extension officers only but should involve local community members too.

5.11. Drought mitigation and poverty alleviation

Whilst recognising and appreciating the importance of donor relief food distribution, these can also promote dependency syndrome amongst the affected communities. It is essential that people are assisted to develop themselves using available resources and techniques rather than work for food. Alternative means of livelihood need to be explored and early warning systems strengthened. Acquired information must be dissipated to communities on a timely basis inorder to avoid disasters or mitigate the effects of drought. Food storage capacities also need to be improved to ensure food security.

5.12. Land policy

To address the issue of land degradation vis-à-vis land allocation in the country, a land policy is essential. The policy must be formulated with the involvement of all the people concerned, starting from the chiefdoms to industrial and government sectors. This legislation also has to control the irreversible conversion of agricultural and forest land into non-agricultural and degrading uses. As part of the exercise all existing legislation and responsible sectors on land issues need to be reviewed and merged where feasible.

5.13. Settlement and resettlement policy

The current practice of constructing homesteads with little regard for land use capability and future land development in the country will eventually results in severe land shortages, especially for crop production. Coupled with this is the possibility of future costly resettlement and infrastructural development programmes. To avoid such an occurrence there is need to develop clear criteria and policies for settlements in the country. It would be ideal to implement the village type of settlements or other suitable settlement models in the country. This exercise must also involve the revival of the Central Rural Development Board and a close liaison between the board and the Land Use Planning Section (MOAC). The Senior Planning Officer must sit in the board and facilitate the transfer of information between the board and the technical wing (Land Use Planning Section).

5.14. Population policy

Considering that rapid population growth contributes to land degradation through increased pressure on land resources, a national population policy is essential. Recognising that there are a number of factors that influence decisions on the size of families, the policy must be drafted in consultation with communities and publicised in schools, chiefdoms and through media campaigns. Public ideas on the types of measures and incentives to be put in place have to be accommodated for the success of this policy. It is essential to realise that without an effective population policy, the NAP process and other related programmes will not achieve the desired outputs.

The Convention to Combat Desertification Swaziland National Action Programme