TRALARD to restore Nyimbili water spring

The Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) Project has unveiled plans to restore the degraded Nyimbili water spring ecosystem in Nakonde District, Muchinga Province. TRALARD II Provincial Operations Officer Catherine Sakala said the plans follow a…

The Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) Project has unveiled plans to restore the degraded Nyimbili water spring ecosystem in Nakonde District, Muchinga Province.

TRALARD II Provincial Operations Officer Catherine Sakala said the plans follow a physical assessment of the site.

Ms Sakala said Nakonde, Shiwang’andu and Chinsali districts have been included as new operational areas under the second phase of the project.

She expressed concern over the high level of environmental degradation in Nakonde, which she attributed largely to tree cutting for charcoal production and other human activities.

Ms Sakala said TRALARD II would focus not only on the Emissions Reduction Programme but also on landscape restoration, recognising the link between water security and healthy ecosystems.

“For Nakonde particularly, one of the things that we have seen is the high degradation that has occurred from cutting of trees for charcoal production, among other human activities,” she said.

“One of the things we are looking at is how we can support the ecosystem around this spring to ensure that we restore its flow,” Ms. Sakala added.

She said TRALARD would work with civic leaders and community structures to implement targeted environmental interventions.

Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Tuesday Bwalya has warned of a potential water crisis if unsustainable farming practices and deforestation around the watershed continue.

Dr Bwalya expressed concern that some farming methods downstream were threatening the water source and urged farmers to adopt sustainable practices.

“Some of the farming methods are probably not supporting what we are supposed to be doing to preserve the sources of our water,” he said.

Dr Bwalya called on farmers to protect and sustainably use water resources, not only in Nakonde but across the province.

He said extensive deforestation had left the Nyimbili water source highly vulnerable.

“We have seen that there is no tree nearby; all the trees in this area have been cut,” he said.

Dr Bwalya said experts under the TRALARD II Project would assess the area and identify appropriate interventions to address the environmental challenges.

He described the Nyimbili spring as an important transboundary water resource serving communities in Zambia and neighbouring Tanzania.

Dr Bwalya said Government, through TRALARD II, was pursuing long-term measures to protect the water source for future generations.