Malawi - Environmental and Natural Resource Management
| Reference ID | DDI-MCC-MWI-IE-ENERGY-2020-v01 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Country | Malawi |
| Producer(s) | Mathematica Policy Research |
| Sponsor(s) | Millennium Challenge Corporation - MCC - |
| Metadata |
 Documentation in PDF
|
| Created on | Mar 07, 2018 |
| Last modified | Apr 13, 2020 |
| Page views | 5078 |
| Downloads | 1699 |
Overview
Identification
ID Number DDI-MCC-MWI-IE-ENERGY-2020-v01 |
Version
Version Description
Not applicable to this evaluation; no quantitative data to be sharedOverview
Abstract
The WSM activity impact evaluation include an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis to estimate impacts of the activity on the operations and productivity of the hydropower plants. We also conduct a qualitative implementation analysis. The performance evaluations of the ENRM and SGEF grant facility and the Environmental Trust will examine activity implementation, achievement of results, and longer term sustainability.
The performance evaluation of the ENRM and SGEF grants include in-depth qualitative case studies with five grantees to examine activity implementation, changes in sustainable land management practices, changes in gender roles and household decision-making, and sustainability of results.
The mixed-methods evaluation of the ENRM Project determines how the overall project and individual activities help to improve the efficiency of hydropower generation and reduce costly generation disruptions. We conducted a remote sensing analysis to examine land use changes over time in the Shire River Basin. We also modeled how changes in land use management affect sedimentation rates in the Shire using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool.
Evaluation Methodology
Interrupted Time Series or pre-post, descriptive and qualitaive analysis (performance evaluation) Units of Analysis
Community, administrative units, otherGeographic Coverage
The WSM activity took place at the Nkula and Kapichira power stations and at the Liwonde barrage along the Shire River in Malawi. The ENRM and SGEF activities took place in the Shire River Basin sub catchment areas in 6 districts in Malawi: Neno, Mangochi, Machinga, Blantyre, Balaka, and Ntcheu.Topics
| Topic | Vocabulary | URI |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Irrigation | MCC Sector | |
| Gender | MCC Sector |
Keywords
ENRM, WSM, SGEF, Malawi, Malawi Compact, Environmental Trust, Land Management, Shire River, Hydroelectric, Hydropower, River Sedimentation, Power, Environmental and Natural Resource Management, Erosion, Conservation Agriculture, Tree Planting, Forest ManagementProducers and Sponsors
Primary Investigator(s)
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Mathematica Policy Research |
Funding
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Millennium Challenge Corporation | MCC |
Metadata Production
Metadata Produced By
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematica Policy Research | Mathematica | Independent Evaluator |
Date Produced
2020-04-03Metadata Version
Version 01Metadata ID Number
DDI-MCC-MWI-IE-ENERGY-2020-v01MCC Compact and Program
Compact or Threshold
Malawi CompactProgram
The Environmental and Natural Resources Management (ENRM) Project worked to reduce costly disruptions and increase the efficiency of hydropower generation by mitigating aquatic weed growth and sedimentation in the Shire River Basin. It was comprised of three main activities: (1) The Weed and Sediment Management (WSM) activity involved procuring and using mechanical equipment to reduce sedimentation and aquatic weed infestation at the primary hydro-generation sites along the Shire; (2) the ENRM activity provided grants to projects designed to reduce soil erosion by improving land management activities in high-priority catchment areas; and (3) the Social and Gender Enhancement Fund (SGEF) activity complemented the ENRM activity by targeting women and vulnerable groups to improve their economic and social rights and their decision-making power within their households and communities; SGEF also worked with men who have limited control of resources in a matrilineal society. In addition, the ENRM activity, a part of the ENRM Project, sought to establish an environmental trust to serve as a sustainable organization to continue funding ENRM and SGEF activities after the compact close.MCC Sector
Energy (Energy)Program Logic
The ENRM Project addresses the problem of sedimentation and weed infestation in the Shire River in three ways: (1) removing weed and sediments near hydroelectric power plants (WSM activity); (2) combating the root causes of soil runoff in the Shire by improving sustainable land management (ENRM and SGEF activities); and (3) planning for long-term investments in behavior change by establishing an environmental trust. These three interventions encompass the project's theory of change, whereby: if weeds are removed and sedimentation is reduced, then hydropower generators will clog up less frequently and have sufficient levels of water to generate power, resulting in more efficient operation with fewer power outages; if community interventions are implemented, then households and communities will be better equipped to improve land use and watershed management practices, thus decreasing siltation and erosion in the project area; if an environmental trust is set up, then further initiatives and organizations can be funded, thereby leading to the sustained improvement of better land use practices. Outcomes from these activities support the Compact's goal of reducing poverty through sustainable and equitable economic growth by increasing the competitiveness of Malawi's agricultural, commercial and industrial sectors.Program Participants
The WSM activity worked with EGENCO staff, including power plant operators who will be maintaining and using the new equipment. The ENRM and SGEF activities worked with interested residents of the targeted sub-catchment areas of the Shire River Basin, particularly farmers.