Abstract
Malawi has a thriving agricultural sector contributing 30% of the gross domestic product while making up 80% of the national export earnings. The majority (90%) of the farmers in Malawi rely on subsistence farming and irrigation is solely rainfed; this limits crop growth and leaves the country more vulnerable to extreme weather events and food insecurity. Further to that, unsustainable land practices among farmers have brought about a decline in soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Soil erosion is a major problem in the agricultural sector in Malawi and that creates a barrier to the economic development of the country. Soil loss leads to a decline in fertility of farmlands, resulting in land degradation. Land degradation is the decline in soil fertility and productivity which is caused by anthropogenic and natural processes. Africa is the most affected continent, with 75% of arable land already degraded. This research focuses on land degradation parameters, the perception of land degradation indicators, as well as land management strategies that include indigenous and scientific knowledge. It furthermore builds a better understanding of the similarities and differences between indigenous and scientific practices in achieving sustainable land management. Lastly, the possible ways in which the two knowledge systems can be merged is examined. The aim is to determine indigenous indicators of land degradation and explore how indigenous and scientific knowledge systems can be integrated and used to address land degradation in Balaka, Malawi. To achieve this, 100 semi-structured interviews were conducted (one interview per participating farmer) in five villages and relevant literature was evaluated and analysed in conjunction with thematic content analysis. This was done to establish the simultaneous use of indigenous and scientific knowledge in land management strategies and to determine whether farmers adopt the knowledge systems in farming practices to curb land degradation. The study found that the farmers were aware of the indigenous indicators that determine their perception of land management strategies. Scientific and indigenous knowledge practices had been adopted, although there are clear indications that farmers had insufficient resources and information to fully adopt the practices.