IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v7y2018i2p50-d141220.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Long-Term Livelihood and Landscape Change in Two Semi-Arid Sites in Southern Africa: Drivers and Consequences for Social–Ecological Vulnerability

Author

Listed:
  • Current Masunungure

    (Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6139, South Africa)

  • Sheona E. Shackleton

    (Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6139, South Africa)

Abstract

This paper investigates the drivers and dynamics of livelihood and landscape change over a 30-year period in two sites in the communal drylands of Zimbabwe (Marwendo) and South Africa (Tshivuhulani). Of particular interest to us was how access to social protection and a wider range of options may mitigate increased vulnerability under a changing climate. A mixed methods approach (using household surveys, focus group discussions, life history interviews, transect walks and secondary sources of data) was applied to develop human–environment timelines for each study site. Findings indicate that prolonged periods of droughts, unreliable rainfall, changing socioeconomic policies and development-related projects were among the major drivers of both positive and negative change in both villages. Marwendo, in particular, experienced a suite of negative drivers in the last 10 years that increased vulnerability and forced households to diversify into potentially maladaptive activities. In contrast, the expansion in social grants in Tshivhulani provided an important safety net that reduced vulnerability, but also led to a decline in farming and a narrowing of livelihood activities for some households. We demonstrate that rural development initiatives such as electrification and road construction can strengthen local people’s capacity to respond to drivers of change, while new methods of farming and diversification of the livelihood portfolio can make them more climate-resilient. However, long-term changes in landscapes and ecosystem services and feedbacks on livelihoods could reverse some of the benefits of development by eroding the natural capital many households still depend on.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:2:p:50-:d:141220
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/7/2/50/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/7/2/50/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karl Zimmerer, 2007. "Agriculture, livelihoods, and globalization: The analysis of new trajectories (and avoidance of just-so stories) of human-environment change and conservation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 24(1), pages 9-16, March.
    2. Sheona Shackleton & Marty Luckert, 2015. "Changing Livelihoods and Landscapes in the Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: Past Influences and Future Trajectories," Land, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-30, November.
    3. Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, 2010. "Drought Coping and Adaptation Strategies: Understanding Adaptations to Climate Change in Agro-pastoral Livestock Production in Makueni District, Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 22(5), pages 623-642, December.
    4. Maura Andrew & Roddy Fox, 2004. "'Undercultivation' and intensification in the Transkei: a case study of historical changes in the use of arable land in Nompa, Shixini," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 687-706.
    5. Josphat Mushongah & Ian Scoones, 2012. "Livelihood Change in Rural Zimbabwe over 20 Years," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(9), pages 1241-1257, September.
    6. Frost, Peter & Campbell, Bruce & Luckert, Martin (marty) & Mutamba, Manyewu & Mandondo, Alois & Kozanayi, Witness, 2007. "In Search of Improved Rural Livelihoods in Semi-Arid Regions through Local Management of Natural Resources: Lessons from Case Studies in Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1961-1974, November.
    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. Qin Liu & Tiange Shi, 2019. "Spatiotemporal Differentiation and the Factors of Ecological Vulnerability in the Toutun River Basin Based on Remote Sensing Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-19, August.
    2. 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.
    3. Dale Blair & Charlie M. Shackleton & Penelope J. Mograbi, 2018. "Cropland Abandonment in South African Smallholder Communal Lands: Land Cover Change (1950–2010) and Farmer Perceptions of Contributing Factors," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Sheona Shackleton & Vanessa Masterson & Paul Hebinck & Chinwe Ifejika Speranza & Dian Spear & Maria Tengö, 2019. "Editorial for Special Issue: “Livelihood and Landscape Change in Africa: Future Trajectories for Improved Well-Being under a Changing Climate”," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-8, July.
    5. 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.
    6. Silberg, Timothy R. & Renner, Karen & Schmitt Olabisi, Laura & Richardson, Robert B. & Chimonyo, Vimbayi Grace Patrova & Uriona-Maldonado, Mauricio & Basso, Bruno B. & Mwale, Cyprian, 2021. "Modeling smallholder agricultural systems to manage Striga in the semi-arid tropics," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    7. Shackleton, C.M. & Mograbi, P.J. & Drimie, S. & Fay, D. & Hebinck, P. & Hoffman, M.T. & Maciejewski, K. & Twine, W., 2019. "Deactivation of field cultivation in communal areas of South Africa: Patterns, drivers and socio-economic and ecological consequences," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 686-699.

    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. Shackleton, C.M. & Mograbi, P.J. & Drimie, S. & Fay, D. & Hebinck, P. & Hoffman, M.T. & Maciejewski, K. & Twine, W., 2019. "Deactivation of field cultivation in communal areas of South Africa: Patterns, drivers and socio-economic and ecological consequences," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 686-699.
    2. Hebinck†, Paul & Smith, Lothar & Aliber, Michael, 2023. "Beyond technocracy: The role of the state in rural development in the Eastern Cape, South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    3. Dale Blair & Charlie M. Shackleton & Penelope J. Mograbi, 2018. "Cropland Abandonment in South African Smallholder Communal Lands: Land Cover Change (1950–2010) and Farmer Perceptions of Contributing Factors," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Mugido, Worship & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2019. "The contribution of NTFPS to rural livelihoods in different agro-ecological zones of South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    5. Dai, Xuhuan & Li, Bo & Zheng, Hua & Yang, Yanzheng & Yang, Zihan & Peng, Chenchen, 2023. "Can sedentarization decrease the dependence of pastoral livelihoods on ecosystem services?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    6. Sheona Shackleton & Vanessa Masterson & Paul Hebinck & Chinwe Ifejika Speranza & Dian Spear & Maria Tengö, 2019. "Editorial for Special Issue: “Livelihood and Landscape Change in Africa: Future Trajectories for Improved Well-Being under a Changing Climate”," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-8, July.
    7. Service Opare, 2011. "Sustaining water supply through a phased community management approach: lessons from Ghana’s “oats” water supply scheme," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1021-1042, December.
    8. Mtero, Farai, 2017. "Rural livelihoods, large-scale mining and agrarian change in Mapela, Limpopo, South Africa," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 190-200.
    9. Keitometsi Ncube & Charlie M. Shackleton & Brent M. Swallow & Wijaya Dassanayake, 2016. "Impacts of HIV / AIDS on food consumption and wild food use in rural South Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(6), pages 1135-1151, December.
    10. Bachev, Hrabrin, 2016. "Sustainability of Farming Enterprise – Governance and Evaluation," MPRA Paper 69734, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Liboster Mwadzingeni & Raymond Mugandani & Paramu L. Mafongoya, 2021. "Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change in Smallholder Irrigation Schemes of Zimbabwe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Watmough, Gary R. & Atkinson, Peter M. & Saikia, Arupjyoti & Hutton, Craig W., 2016. "Understanding the Evidence Base for Poverty–Environment Relationships using Remotely Sensed Satellite Data: An Example from Assam, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 188-203.
    13. Fischer, Klara & Mnukwa, Nomahlubi & Bengtsson, Amanda, 2023. "The Covid pandemic, cultivation and livelihoods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 62(3-4), December.
    14. Madhav Regmi & Krishna P. Paudel, 2017. "Food security in a remittance based economy," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(4), pages 831-848, August.
    15. Andrew M. Linke & Frank D. W. Witmer & John O’Loughlin, 2020. "Do people accurately report droughts? Comparison of instrument-measured and national survey data in Kenya," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1143-1160, October.
    16. Kihiu, Evelyne Nyathira & Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin, 2017. "Improving Access to Livestock Markets for Sustainable Rangeland Management," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 5(2), July.
    17. Amrita Saha & Rachel Sabates-Wheeler & John Thompson, 2022. "Insights into smallholder capacity for agricultural commercialisation: Evidence from four African contexts," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1757-1802, August.
    18. Véronique Sophie Ávila-Foucat & Daniel Revollo-Fernández & Carolina Navarrete, 2021. "Determinants of Livelihood Diversification: The Case of Community-Based Ecotourism in Oaxaca, Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    19. Hui Xiao & Jianxiu Xiao & Fangting Xie, 2022. "Impact Assessment of Farmland Lease-Out on Rural Households’ Livelihood Capital and Livelihood Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, August.
    20. Nicholas R Magliocca & Daniel G Brown & Erle C Ellis, 2013. "Exploring Agricultural Livelihood Transitions with an Agent-Based Virtual Laboratory: Global Forces to Local Decision-Making," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-11, September.

    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:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:2:p:50-:d:141220. 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.