Local community perceptions on landscape change, ecosystem services, climate change, and livelihoods in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
- Musakwa, Walter, Mpofu, Ephraim, Nyathi, Nesisa Analisa
- Authors: Musakwa, Walter , Mpofu, Ephraim , Nyathi, Nesisa Analisa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Landscape change , Ecosystem services , Livelihoods
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/424242 , uj:36273 , Musakwa, W., Mpofu, E., Nyathi, N.A.: Local community perceptions on landscape change, ecosystem services, climate change, and livelihoods in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. DOI:10.3390/su12114610
- Description: Abstract: Understanding humanity’s relationship with nature is crucial for the well-being and sustainable development of mankind in the face of global environmental change. Communities depend on landscapes for survival and landscapes determine if sustainable development is to be achieved. The links between landscapes, ecosystem services, livelihoods, and climate change are often complex, misunderstood, and barely studied in rural areas of Africa, where communities live side-by-side with conservation areas. Our study surveyed the perception of the nexus of landscape change, climate change, ecosystem services, and livelihoods in Gonarezhou, a national park in southeastern Zimbabwe. We also used Landsat satellite imagery to map the landscape change over 20 years to validate and to correlate with the survey data. The survey results indicated that people relied on rainfed agriculture as a means of livelihood, but droughts as a result of climate change force communities to engage in other means of livelihoods such as small-scale poaching of small game such as impala and harvesting of natural resources such as edible shrubs. Crops and livestock as provisional ecosystem services have been negatively affected by climate change and landscape change. Landsat data confirmed that there was a negative transformation of the landscape as a result of agriculture, growth in settlements, and large herbivores. However, there was also a positive landscape transformation resulting from the conservation efforts by the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT). Cultural services about education and awareness of the environment and provisional services such as wild fruits are booming. Challenges such as soil erosion, human–wildlife conflict, and minimal community benefits from conservation efforts hindered sustainable development in the study area. While changes in landscape, climate, livelihoods, and ecosystem services happened at a local scale, the underlying drivers such as politics and the economy were also identified as drivers of landscape change.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Musakwa, Walter , Mpofu, Ephraim , Nyathi, Nesisa Analisa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Landscape change , Ecosystem services , Livelihoods
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/424242 , uj:36273 , Musakwa, W., Mpofu, E., Nyathi, N.A.: Local community perceptions on landscape change, ecosystem services, climate change, and livelihoods in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. DOI:10.3390/su12114610
- Description: Abstract: Understanding humanity’s relationship with nature is crucial for the well-being and sustainable development of mankind in the face of global environmental change. Communities depend on landscapes for survival and landscapes determine if sustainable development is to be achieved. The links between landscapes, ecosystem services, livelihoods, and climate change are often complex, misunderstood, and barely studied in rural areas of Africa, where communities live side-by-side with conservation areas. Our study surveyed the perception of the nexus of landscape change, climate change, ecosystem services, and livelihoods in Gonarezhou, a national park in southeastern Zimbabwe. We also used Landsat satellite imagery to map the landscape change over 20 years to validate and to correlate with the survey data. The survey results indicated that people relied on rainfed agriculture as a means of livelihood, but droughts as a result of climate change force communities to engage in other means of livelihoods such as small-scale poaching of small game such as impala and harvesting of natural resources such as edible shrubs. Crops and livestock as provisional ecosystem services have been negatively affected by climate change and landscape change. Landsat data confirmed that there was a negative transformation of the landscape as a result of agriculture, growth in settlements, and large herbivores. However, there was also a positive landscape transformation resulting from the conservation efforts by the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT). Cultural services about education and awareness of the environment and provisional services such as wild fruits are booming. Challenges such as soil erosion, human–wildlife conflict, and minimal community benefits from conservation efforts hindered sustainable development in the study area. While changes in landscape, climate, livelihoods, and ecosystem services happened at a local scale, the underlying drivers such as politics and the economy were also identified as drivers of landscape change.
- Full Text:
Survey of community livelihoods and landscape change along the Nzhelele and Levuvhu river catchments in the Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Musakwa, Walter, Wang, Shuai, Wei, Fangli, Malapane, Olgah Lerato, Makamule, Thomas Masala, Mavengahama, Sydney, Hongwei, Zeng, Wu, Bingfang, Zhao, Wenwu, Nesisa, Analisa Nyathi, Mashimbye, Zama Eric, Poona, Nitesh, Chakwizira, James, Gumbo, Trynos, Mokoena, Baleseng, Kaitano, Francis, Fundisi, Emmanuel, Yeni-Letsoko, Vuyiswa
- Authors: Musakwa, Walter , Wang, Shuai , Wei, Fangli , Malapane, Olgah Lerato , Makamule, Thomas Masala , Mavengahama, Sydney , Hongwei, Zeng , Wu, Bingfang , Zhao, Wenwu , Nesisa, Analisa Nyathi , Mashimbye, Zama Eric , Poona, Nitesh , Chakwizira, James , Gumbo, Trynos , Mokoena, Baleseng , Kaitano, Francis , Fundisi, Emmanuel , Yeni-Letsoko, Vuyiswa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Landscape change , Livelihoods , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/415914 , uj:35161 , Citation: Musakwa, W. et al. Survey of community livelihoods and landscape change along the Nzhelele and Levuvhu river catchments in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.
- Description: Abstract: , Landscape change studies have attracted increasing interest because of their importance 29 to land management and sustainable livelihoods of rural communities. However, empirical studies 30 on landscape change and its drivers are often poorly understood, particularly, in small rural 31 communities in developing countries such as South Africa. The present study surveyed local 32 community livelihoods and perceptions of landscape change in the Nzhelele and Levuvhu river 33 catchments in Limpopo Province, South Africa. These areas have experienced land reform and are 34 also characterized by environmental degradation, poverty, inequality and environmental justice 35 concerns among other issues. Land cover maps derived from Landsat satellite imagery were used 36 for purposes of correlating and validating the survey data findings and results. The survey results 37 showed that education levels, working status and marital status have statistically significant effects 38 on community livelihoods (indicated by levels of income, p < 0.05). Maize, fruits and vegetables are 39 the main cultivated crop varieties in the study area, and these crops are mainly used for subsistence 40 to meet household self-consumption requirements..
- Full Text:
- Authors: Musakwa, Walter , Wang, Shuai , Wei, Fangli , Malapane, Olgah Lerato , Makamule, Thomas Masala , Mavengahama, Sydney , Hongwei, Zeng , Wu, Bingfang , Zhao, Wenwu , Nesisa, Analisa Nyathi , Mashimbye, Zama Eric , Poona, Nitesh , Chakwizira, James , Gumbo, Trynos , Mokoena, Baleseng , Kaitano, Francis , Fundisi, Emmanuel , Yeni-Letsoko, Vuyiswa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Landscape change , Livelihoods , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/415914 , uj:35161 , Citation: Musakwa, W. et al. Survey of community livelihoods and landscape change along the Nzhelele and Levuvhu river catchments in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.
- Description: Abstract: , Landscape change studies have attracted increasing interest because of their importance 29 to land management and sustainable livelihoods of rural communities. However, empirical studies 30 on landscape change and its drivers are often poorly understood, particularly, in small rural 31 communities in developing countries such as South Africa. The present study surveyed local 32 community livelihoods and perceptions of landscape change in the Nzhelele and Levuvhu river 33 catchments in Limpopo Province, South Africa. These areas have experienced land reform and are 34 also characterized by environmental degradation, poverty, inequality and environmental justice 35 concerns among other issues. Land cover maps derived from Landsat satellite imagery were used 36 for purposes of correlating and validating the survey data findings and results. The survey results 37 showed that education levels, working status and marital status have statistically significant effects 38 on community livelihoods (indicated by levels of income, p < 0.05). Maize, fruits and vegetables are 39 the main cultivated crop varieties in the study area, and these crops are mainly used for subsistence 40 to meet household self-consumption requirements..
- Full Text:
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