IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i11p4610-d367557.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Local Community Perceptions on Landscape Change, Ecosystem Services, Climate Change, and Livelihoods in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Walter Musakwa

    (Future Earth and Ecosystems Services Research Group, Department of Town and Regional Planning, Doornfontein Campus, University of Johannesburg, Beit Street, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, Gauteng, South Africa)

  • Ephraim Mpofu

    (Future Earth and Ecosystems Services Research Group, Department of Town and Regional Planning, Doornfontein Campus, University of Johannesburg, Beit Street, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, Gauteng, South Africa)

  • Nesisa Analisa Nyathi

    (Future Earth and Ecosystems Services Research Group, Department of Town and Regional Planning, Doornfontein Campus, University of Johannesburg, Beit Street, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, Gauteng, South Africa)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Musakwa & Ephraim Mpofu & Nesisa Analisa Nyathi, 2020. "Local Community Perceptions on Landscape Change, Ecosystem Services, Climate Change, and Livelihoods in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:11:p:4610-:d:367557
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/11/4610/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/11/4610/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Current Masunungure & Sheona E. Shackleton, 2018. "Exploring Long-Term Livelihood and Landscape Change in Two Semi-Arid Sites in Southern Africa: Drivers and Consequences for Social–Ecological Vulnerability," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Leandro Medina & Mr. Friedrich Schneider, 2018. "Shadow Economies Around the World: What Did We Learn Over the Last 20 Years?," IMF Working Papers 2018/017, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Wisely, Samantha M. & Alexander, Kathleen & Mahlaba, Themb'a & Cassidy, Lin, 2018. "Linking ecosystem services to livelihoods in southern Africa," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(PC), pages 339-341.
    4. Janna Frischen & Isabel Meza & Daniel Rupp & Katharina Wietler & Michael Hagenlocher, 2020. "Drought Risk to Agricultural Systems in Zimbabwe: A Spatial Analysis of Hazard, Exposure, and Vulnerability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Muboko, Never & Bradshaw, Gavin J, 2018. "Towards Resolving Local Community and Protected Area Management Conflicts: Lessons from the Chitsa community and Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe," International Journal of Development and Conflict, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, vol. 8(2), pages 62-79.
    6. Bruna Irene Grimberg & Selena Ahmed & Colter Ellis & Zachariah Miller & Fabian Menalled, 2018. "Climate Change Perceptions and Observations of Agricultural Stakeholders in the Northern Great Plains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-17, May.
    7. Simon L. Lewis & Mark A. Maslin, 2015. "Defining the Anthropocene," Nature, Nature, vol. 519(7542), pages 171-180, March.
    8. Clark, V. Ralph & Vidal, João de Deus & Grundy, Isla M. & Fakarayi, Togarasei & Childes, Susan L. & Barker, Nigel P. & Linder, H. Peter, 2019. "Bridging the divide between intuitive social-ecological value and sustainability in the Manica Highlands of southern Africa (Zimbabwe-Mozambique)," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    9. Kathleen Beegle & Luc Christiaensen & Andrew Dabalen & Isis Gaddis, 2016. "Poverty in a Rising Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 22575, December.
    10. Linda Steg, 2018. "Limiting climate change requires research on climate action," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(9), pages 759-761, September.
    11. Cynthia Rosenzweig & William Solecki, 2018. "Action pathways for transforming cities," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(9), pages 756-759, September.
    12. Simon Shackley & Robert Deanwood, 2002. "Stakeholder Perceptions of Climate Change Impacts at the Regional Scale: Implications for the Effectiveness of Regional and Local Responses," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(3), pages 381-402.
    13. Walter Musakwa & Shuai Wang & Fangli Wei & Olgah Lerato Malapane & Masala Makumule Thomas & Sydney Mavengahama & Hongwei Zeng & Bingfang Wu & Wenwu Zhao & Nesisa Analisa Nyathi & Zama Eric Mashimbye &, 2020. "Survey of Community Livelihoods and Landscape Change along the Nzhelele and Levuvhu River Catchments in Limpopo Province, South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-21, March.
    14. Cruz-Garcia, Gisella S. & Sachet, Erwan & Blundo-Canto, Genowefa & Vanegas, Martha & Quintero, Marcela, 2017. "To what extent have the links between ecosystem services and human well-being been researched in Africa, Asia, and Latin America?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 201-212.
    15. Ingo Grass & Christoph Kubitza & Vijesh V. Krishna & Marife D. Corre & Oliver Mußhoff & Peter Pütz & Jochen Drescher & Katja Rembold & Eka Sulpin Ariyanti & Andrew D. Barnes & Nicole Brinkmann & Ulric, 2020. "Trade-offs between multifunctionality and profit in tropical smallholder landscapes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gül Aktürk & Hannah Fluck, 2022. "Vernacular Heritage as a Response to Climate: Lessons for Future Climate Resilience from Rize, Turkey," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Walter Musakwa & Trynos Gumbo & Gaynor Paradza & Ephraim Mpofu & Nesisa Analisa Nyathi & Ntlakala B. Selamolela, 2020. "Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Walter Musakwa & Trynos Gumbo & Gaynor Paradza & Ephraim Mpofu & Nesisa Analisa Nyathi & Ntlakala B. Selamolela, 2020. "Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Tironi, Martín & Rivera Lisboa, Diego Ignacio, 2023. "Artificial intelligence in the new forms of environmental governance in the Chilean State: Towards an eco-algorithmic governance," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2020. "Drivers and persistence of death in conflicts: global evidence," Working Papers 20/066, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    4. Tchamyou, Vanessa S. & Erreygers, Guido & Cassimon, Danny, 2019. "Inequality, ICT and financial access in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 169-184.
    5. Asongu, Simplice & Tchamyou, Vanessa & Asongu, Ndemaze & Tchamyou, Nina, 2018. "The Comparative African Economics of Governance in Fighting Terrorism," MPRA Paper 92346, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Asongu, Simplice & Acha-Anyi, Paul, 2019. "Global Tourism and Waves of Terror: Perspectives from Military Expenditure," MPRA Paper 101793, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Ndoya, Hermann & Okere, Donald & Belomo, Marie laure & Atangana, Melissa, 2023. "Does ICTs decrease the spread of informal economy in Africa?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    8. Michael Carolan, 2020. "Filtering perceptions of climate change and biotechnology: values and views among Colorado farmers and ranchers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 121-139, March.
    9. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2020. "The comparative economics of financial access in gender economic inclusion," African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(2), pages 193-207, December.
    10. Ligita Gasparėnienė & Rita Remeikienė & Colin C. Williams, 2022. "Unemployment and the Informal Economy," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-96687-4, October.
    11. Friedrich Schneider & Mangirdas Morkunas & Erika Quendler, 2021. "Measuring the Immeasurable: The Evolution of the Size of Informal Economy in the Agricultural Sector in the EU-15 up to 2019," CESifo Working Paper Series 8937, CESifo.
    12. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna, 2019. "Dynamic Determinants of Access to Weapons: Global Evidence," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 54(4), pages 334-354, November.
    13. Aga,Gemechu A. & Campos,Francisco Moraes Leitao & Conconi,Adriana & Davies,Elwyn Adriaan Robin & Geginat,Carolin, 2021. "Informal Firms in Mozambique : Status and Potential," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9712, The World Bank.
    14. Piotr Dybka & Bartosz Olesiński & Marek Rozkrut & Andrzej Torój, 2023. "Measuring the model uncertainty of shadow economy estimates," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1069-1106, August.
    15. Kibria, Abu SMG & Costanza, Robert & Soto, José R, 2022. "Modeling the complex associations of human wellbeing dimensions in a coupled human-natural system: In contexts of marginalized communities," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 466(C).
    16. Asiedu, Elizabeth & Azomahou, Théophile T. & Getachew, Yoseph & Yitbarek, Eleni, 2021. "Share the love: Parental bias, women empowerment and intergenerational mobility," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 846-867.
    17. Anda David & Yoro Diallo & Björn Nilsson, 2023. "Informality and Inequality: The African Case," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 32(Supplemen), pages 273-295.
    18. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Serajuddin, Umar, 2020. "Tracking the sustainable development goals: Emerging measurement challenges and further reflections," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    19. Luc Jacolin & Joseph Keneck Massil & Alphonse Noah, 2021. "Informal sector and mobile financial services in emerging and developing countries: Does financial innovation matter?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(9), pages 2703-2737, September.
    20. Phoebe W. Ishak & Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, 2022. "Oil price shocks, protest, and the shadow economy: Is there a mitigation effect?," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 298-321, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:11:p:4610-:d:367557. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.