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Improving Representation of Decision Rules in LUCC-ABM: An Example with an Elicitation of Farmers’ Decision Making for Landscape Restoration in Central Malawi

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  • Ida Nadia S. Djenontin

    (Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
    Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

  • Leo C. Zulu

    (Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

  • Arika Ligmann-Zielinska

    (Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA)

Abstract

Restoring interlocking forest-agricultural landscapes— forest-agricscapes —to sustainably supply ecosystem services for socio-ecological well-being is one of Malawi’s priorities. Engaging local farmers is crucial in implementing restoration schemes. While farmers’ land-use decisions shape land-use/cover and changes (LUCC) and ecological conditions, why and how they decide to embrace restoration activities is poorly understood and neglected in forest-agricscape restoration. We analyze the nature of farmers’ restoration decisions, both individually and collectively, in Central Malawi using a mixed-method analysis. We characterize, qualitatively and quantitatively, the underlying contextual rationales, motives, benefits, and incentives. Identified decision-making rules reflect diverse and nuanced goal frames of relative importance that are featured in various combinations. We categorize the decision-making rules as: problem-solving oriented, resource/material-constrained, benefits-oriented, incentive-based, peers/leaders-influenced, knowledge/skill-dependent, altruistic-oriented, rules/norms-constrained, economic capacity-dependent, awareness-dependent, and risk averse-oriented. We link them with the corresponding vegetation- and non-vegetation-based restoration practices to depict the overall decision-making processes. Findings advance the representation of farmers’ decision rules and behavioral responses in computational agent-based modeling (ABM), through the decomposition of empirical data. The approach used can inform other modeling works attempting to better capture social actors’ decision rules. Such LUCC-ABMs are valuable for exploring spatially explicit outcomes of restoration investments by modeling such decision-making processes and policy scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Ida Nadia S. Djenontin & Leo C. Zulu & Arika Ligmann-Zielinska, 2020. "Improving Representation of Decision Rules in LUCC-ABM: An Example with an Elicitation of Farmers’ Decision Making for Landscape Restoration in Central Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-35, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5380-:d:379825
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Ida Nadia S. Djenontin & Samson Foli & Leo C. Zulu, 2018. "Revisiting the Factors Shaping Outcomes for Forest and Landscape Restoration in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Way Forward for Policy, Practice and Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-34, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rebekah G. K. Hinton & Christopher J. A. Macleod & Mads Troldborg & Gift Wanangwa & Modesta Kanjaye & Emma Mbalame & Prince Mleta & Kettie Harawa & Steve Kumwenda & Robert M. Kalin, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Awareness and Adoption of Borehole-Garden Permaculture in Malawi: Lessons for the Promotion of Sustainable Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, November.
    2. Djenontin, Ida Nadia S. & Zulu, Leo C. & Richardson, Robert B., 2022. "Smallholder farmers and forest landscape restoration in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Central Malawi," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    3. Egger, Claudine & Plutzar, Christoph & Mayer, Andreas & Dullinger, Iwona & Dullinger, Stefan & Essl, Franz & Gattringer, Andreas & Bohner, Andreas & Haberl, Helmut & Gaube, Veronika, 2022. "Using the SECLAND model to project future land-use until 2050 under climate and socioeconomic change in the LTSER region Eisenwurzen (Austria)," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    4. Meine van Noordwijk & Vincent Gitz & Peter A. Minang & Sonya Dewi & Beria Leimona & Lalisa Duguma & Nathanaël Pingault & Alexandre Meybeck, 2020. "People-Centric Nature-Based Land Restoration through Agroforestry: A Typology," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-29, July.
    5. Djenontin, Ida N.S. & Ligmann-Zielinska, Arika & Zulu, Leo C., 2022. "Landscape-scale effects of farmers’ restoration decision making and investments in central Malawi: an agent-based modeling approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115672, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Djenontin, Ida N.S. & Zulu, Leo C., 2021. "The quest for context-relevant governance of agro-forest landscape restoration in Central Malawi: Insights from local processes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

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