<p class="MsoNormal" [removed]="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
Lau Watershed Management project is one of the four fast track projects
prepared in 2007 under the Eastern Nile Watershed Management (ENWM) Project. The
Lau Watershed project area is administratively located within Maiwut County, Upper
Nile State in Southern Sudan. Maiwut County has six Payams, four of which
(Maiwut, Kigille, Jotome and Turuw) fall within the Lau Watershed Project area.
The watershed (the part in South Sudan) has an area of 700 km<sup>2</sup> that
is characterized by rugged densely vegetated mountainous highland terrain at
its head and plain lowland in the downstream parts. The altitude ranges from
415 to 1904 m amsl, with about 90 percent of the watershed falling below 500 m
asl. During dry seasons, many people move long distances with their livestock
in search of forage and water. The people that remain behind in the watershed have
great difficulty finding adequate water (for domestic use and for the livestock
that has not been driven away. Conflicts over water resources and grazing
grounds are common in the watershed. Other issues identified in the watershed
include deforestation, overgrazing, land degradation and soil loss, water
pollution, and loss of wildlife from hunting and habitat destruction, impacts
of climate change manifesting as changes in rainfall patterns, and weak
institutions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" [removed]="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
Lau Watershed Management project is one of the four fast track projects
prepared in 2007 under the Eastern Nile Watershed Management (ENWM) Project. The
Lau Watershed project area is administratively located within Maiwut County, Upper
Nile State in Southern Sudan. Maiwut County has six Payams, four of which
(Maiwut, Kigille, Jotome and Turuw) fall within the Lau Watershed Project area.
The watershed (the part in South Sudan) has an area of 700 km<sup>2</sup> that
is characterized by rugged densely vegetated mountainous highland terrain at
its head and plain lowland in the downstream parts. The altitude ranges from
415 to 1904 m amsl, with about 90 percent of the watershed falling below 500 m
asl. During dry seasons, many people move long distances with their livestock
in search of forage and water. The people that remain behind in the watershed have
great difficulty finding adequate water (for domestic use and for the livestock
that has not been driven away. Conflicts over water resources and grazing
grounds are common in the watershed. Other issues identified in the watershed
include deforestation, overgrazing, land degradation and soil loss, water
pollution, and loss of wildlife from hunting and habitat destruction, impacts
of climate change manifesting as changes in rainfall patterns, and weak
institutions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" [removed]="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The
project objective was to restore community capacity to sustain and develop
livelihoods in an environmentally responsible manner. The project had four
components namely: (a) capacity building and institutional strengthening; (b) provision
of basic services; (c) support to livelihoods, and; (d) project management.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" [removed]="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Specific
interventions under the project included building capacity of Maiwut County and
supporting NGOs; supporting the formation of, and building capacity of
Community-Based Organisations; engaging and promoting community participation;
constructing water supplies for domestic water use, livestock watering and
agricultural irrigation based on sand dams or surface water reservoirs;
constructing demonstration pit latrines and carrying out hygiene education;
supporting school feeding programmes; introducing adult literacy programs;
upgrading rural feeder roads to improve market access; demonstrating improved
farming methods (e.g. use of improved seeds and fertilizers, mechanical
ploughing; soil and water conservation; pest and disease control, etc);
introducing small-scale irrigation; training fishermen in improved capture
fisheries; introducing fish farming; supporting establishment of dairy
processing cottage industries; establishing fruit tree nurseries, and promoting
agro-forestry; diversification of income-generating activities (beekeeping,
wood craft and furniture marking, vegetable processing, fruit processing,
edible oil processing, grain milling, producing improved stoves, etc.);
promoting use of renewable energy sources (biogas, solar); and introducing
compressed bricks to replace traditional soil construction techniques.</span></p>
<p>The
project objective was to restore community capacity to sustain and develop
livelihoods in an environmentally responsible manner. The project had four
components namely: (a) capacity building and institutional strengthening; (b) provision
of basic services; (c) support to livelihoods, and; (d) project management.</p><p><br></p><p>Benefits - building capacity of Maiwut County and
supporting NGOs; supporting the formation of, and building capacity of
Community-Based Organisations; engaging and promoting community participation;
constructing water supplies for domestic water use, livestock watering and
agricultural irrigation based on sand dams or surface water reservoirs;
constructing demonstration pit latrines and carrying out hygiene education;
supporting school feeding programmes; introducing adult literacy programs;
upgrading rural feeder roads to improve market access; demonstrating improved
farming methods (e.g. use of improved seeds and fertilizers, mechanical
ploughing; soil and water conservation; pest and disease control, etc);
introducing small-scale irrigation; training fishermen in improved capture
fisheries; introducing fish farming; supporting establishment of dairy
processing cottage industries; establishing fruit tree nurseries, and promoting
agro-forestry; diversification of income-generating activities (beekeeping,
wood craft and furniture marking, vegetable processing, fruit processing,
edible oil processing, grain milling, producing improved stoves, etc.);
promoting use of renewable energy sources (biogas, solar); and introducing
compressed bricks to replace traditional soil construction techniques.<br></p>