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TITLE Integrated Land-Use Design (ILUD) DESCRIPTION ILUD is part of the Scope Programme, a unit of the Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture, which works closely with the Ministry of Education in the area of environmental education. The Scope Programme seeks to provide educational institutions with a design tool or process to develop integrated land-use management systems for their own grounds. In 1989 St. Vincent Secondary School approached Fambidanaj Permaculture Centre for assistance in managing their school grounds. Work done on the grounds over a two-year period impressed the Minister of Education, who ordered that a pilot project be started so that other schools could benefit from the experience of St. Vincent School. The ILUD practice is based on the principles of involvement and integration. Involvement is achieved as stakeholders take part in the implementation process. The stakeholders include parents as well as teachers and pupils in the participating schools. The participants use the principle of integration to establish connections between the elements in their environments. They do this by following four steps: observation and assessment holistic goal formulation mapping of the future landscape implementation and monitoring The ILUD process begins with observation of the existing situation. The group then formulates a holistic goal for their land. This is followed by the design of a sustainable land-use programme and the drawing up of plans for action and monitoring. THEMES: PHYSICAL PLANNING, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, LAND USE, INTEGRATED APPROACH, METHODOLOGY COUNTRY: ZIMBABWE INDIGENOUS ASPECTS The participation of representatives of the entire school community establishes the community’s ownership of the process, which empowers its members to make use of local knowledge. Decisions are made at the community level; this differs from the top-down approaches used in many programmes. SUSTAINABILITY Economic sustainability is served by the production of seedlings, fruit and vegetables, which are sold. Environmental sustainability is served in that natural soil fertility is built up, the stability of the ecosystem is improved, and biodiversity is protected. Other: the project also encourages the development and application of local knowledge systems. STAKEHOLDERS AND BENEFICIARIES Farmers, students, and teachers are both stakeholders and beneficiaries. At each school they are involved in designing, planning and implementing the process, which gives them a sense of ownership. Thus far between 1000 and 5000 individuals have been involved. STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS The practice empowers the local community, giving its members confidence in their ability to make decisions based on local knowledge. It cultivates local ownership of the project, which is essential for sustainability. Through its successes the programme sells itself. WEAKNESSES: The project depends on the commitment of the local community, and its willingness to get involved in the process. It requires a good facilitator who can motivate the participants and guide them rather than lead them. IT IS CONSIDERED SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE: The project has led to the "regreening" of many areas. Once initiated, the practice tends to be self-propelling. It has given participants the confidence to make use of their own experience and knowledge. SUCCESS EXPRESSED IN QUALITATIVE OR QUANTITATIVE TERMS: Of the 18 pilot schools, 14 managed to transform their land-use management systems considerably and to "re-green" the land. Four years after the project was launched, many school communities are still managing to run the project quite independently. POTENTIAL FOR REPLICATION With a few adaptations, the practice is easy to replicate, especially in agrarian communities. The process has been replicated in Zambia and Lesotho. In Lusaka, Zambia, the PELUM Association (Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association) has initiated it at three schools. Isolated projects are being tried in Lesotho and affiliated to the PELUM Association. Readers who replicate the project are asked to acknowledge the Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture and the SCOPE Programme in any resulting publications, and also to share their experiences with the Institute. PERIOD: From 1994 to the present. BUDGET: USD 100,000.00 p/year SOURCES OF FUNDING: Global Village (Japan) NORAD (Royal Norwegian Embassy) Terres des Hommes (ERG) Tudor Trust (UK) CONTACT PERSON: Mugoue Walter Nyika Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture The Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme Telephone ext.: 2152 (see below) ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED: Organization that provided this information: Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture The Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme P.O. Box Cy301, Causeway Harare Zimbabwe Telephone: 263-4-333820/2/6 Fax: 263-4-726911 E-mail: zip@mango.zw Cooperating Organization: Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture Curriculum Development Unit Harare Zimbabwe Telephone: 263-4-333812/8

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