Browsing by Author "Mambwe, Dina Popo"

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    Land use in Mumbwa Game Management Area : livelihood, migrations, and land cover change
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Mambwe, Dina Popo; Esler, Karen J.; Angelsen, Arild; Chungu, Donald; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : As category VI IUCN Protected Areas where people can practice the sustainable use of natural resources, game management areas (GMAs) of Zambia employ a mixed land use approach. The Mumbwa GMA, adjacent to Zambia’s Kafue National Park, has five land use zones. Although each zone has a distinct land use, over time the GMA has experienced an overlap in land uses by nearby communities and external migrants, particularly in two of the zones meant for conservation (conservation zone) and to cater for human livelihoods (development zone). This study compared three aspects of land use in the conservation and development zones with the aim to contribute to improved land use in the conservation and development zones of the Mumbwa GMA. Firstly, the study investigated the magnitude and patterns of human migrations in the two zones. The second part assessed the extent to which the households settled in these zones earn their livelihoods and rely on the GMA for their livelihoods and wellbeing. Lastly, the study quantified and accounted for the long-term spatial land-cover changes for the period 1990 to 2017. A mixed-method approach was employed for this study, using a structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and remote sensing imagery. Results indicated that a higher (76%) proportion of people living in the conservation zone are external migrants compared to those living in the development zone (50%). Households from both zones did not intend to leave the GMA, even though they acknowledged the need to conserve wildlife. The more land a household occupied, the less they planned to migrate. The households from both zones practised similar livelihood activities and relied more on farming and less on GMA-related livelihoods such as hunting and concession fees. More conservation zone households (72%) compared to those from the development zone (38%) said their wellbeing had improved, and they attributed this improved wellbeing to improved crop yield. For the period 1990 to 2017, the area under forest in the conservation zone reduced from 54 to 32%, and was replaced mostly by other wooded areas and croplands. During the same period, the development zone experienced an increase in the share of cropland from 3.7 to 44%. The respondents attributed the observed land use and cover changes to agricultural expansion, wood extraction, and population growth. Stellenbosch This research shows the magnitude of human migrations and land-cover changes in the Mumbwa GMA. It suggests an overlap in land use in the Mumbwa GMA’s conservation and development zones, which negates the purpose of having distinct land uses for the two zones. The collapse in the land use plan is attributed to, inter alia, poor law enforcement and uncoordinated and inappropriate local conservation policies, specifically those governing land use and livelihoods in the GMA. It is important, therefore, to strengthen law enforcement and realign the conservation/ land use policies in the GMA.