By Kaala B. Moombe, Freddie S. Siangulube and Sandra Cordon
In Zambia in March 2024, COLANDs celebrated as team member Freddie S. Siangulube completed his PhD defence at the University of Amsterdam. Dr Siangulube’s thesis, Towards Inclusive and Negotiated Environmental Governance: The Potential of Multistakeholder Platforms for Landscape Approaches in Southern Zambia, examines some assumptions about integrated landscape approaches (ILAs), specifically focusing on negotiations towards land-use trade-offs in a region with competing land-use interests. Siangulube’s work looks at how common concerns and ‘negotiated change logic’ are achieved in multistakeholder platforms (MSPs), considering power imbalances and stakeholder interests.
Grounded in landscape governance theory, Siangulube’s research argues that effective landscape governance necessitates an understanding of the diverse stakeholders involved across scales, their interests, and the socio-political processes influencing land-use decisions. The thesis contributes to the debate on ILAs by foregrounding the centrality of MSPs for implementing ILAs in Zambia.
The study finds consensus on such issues as the need for forest landscape restoration and offers insights for locally supported pathways for change. It also emphasizes the importance of ensuring marginalized voices are heard and integrated into decision-making processes.
The COLANDS team has also been drafting technical reports and developing peer-reviewed papers/manuscripts for submission to journals. Topics for this social and biophysical-themed research include:
- Perceptions across Scales of Governance Reveal Demand for Forest Landscape Restoration in Southern Zambia by Siangulube. This paper aims to validate the findings of a Theory of Change (ToC) study conducted in Kalomo district in 2019. The study seeks to answer two key questions: How does the co-produced ToC for Kalomo district align with broader landscape actor perceptions? And, how can marginalized groups’ voices be included in decision-making to foster a more inclusive landscape governance in Kalomo?
- Using birds as indicators for future landscape health monitoring: a case study for Kalomo district. This paper aims to understand fragmented landscape health monitoring. The objective is to provide evidence to local decision-makers about the value of biodiversity, explicitly looking for potential bird indicators for future monitoring of fragmented woodlands and management decision-making
- Participatory mapping, local perceptions and valuations of land use land cover changes (LULCC) and cultural services in Kalomo landscape. Underscoring local perceptions of LULCC and cultural belief systems ensures that local people’s perceptions are considered in the decision-making around sustainable management of landscapes.
- Modelling above-ground and below-ground biomass and carbon stocks of mopane and dry miombo woodlands of southern Zambia. This paper applies site-specific allometric models for prediction of above- and below-ground biomass and carbon stocks. The models developed will serve as valuable tools for predicting and monitoring carbon pool sizes in long-term studies. They can also be used to establish conservative carbon stock schemes required to avoid emissions in performance-based payment schemes.
- Tree species composition and diversity across Miombo and Mopane woodlands of the Southern Zambia. This research will examine how these vary in composition and diversity, and their association with soil characteristics.
- Development of a conceptual framework for ILAs for Zambia.
- Defining and conceptualising ILAs.
- A study on ILAs and right-based approaches.
In recent months, the Zambia team has been working with partners and stakeholders to conduct studies and field activities and prepare associated technical reports. Through October and November 2023, COLANDS participated in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) sensitization meetings in the Dundumwezi constituency within the Kalomo district. This activity followed the Kalomo development plan review conducted in the third quarter of 2023 when development proposals were drafted.
Community sensitization meetings, led by the Kalomo Town Council, highlighted the Kalomo Integrated District Plan (IDP) of 2021-2030 as important in motivating communities to develop and submit project proposals for consideration under a government Constituency Development Fund meant to enrol rural and urban development. During the sensitization meetings, the COLANDS team supported proposals developed with stakeholders in September 2023 under the Environmental Sustainability Strategic Development section of the Kalomo IDP. That section aims to “promote restoration and afforestation programs; investment in beekeeping promotion as an income generation activity at household level; protection of forest reserves and game management areas; and promote natural regeneration of water catchment areas”.
In November 2023, a research report was developed from a land-capability assessment conducted in the Mantanyani village cluster landscape in Kalomo district. The aim of the research was to evaluate the capability and suitability of over 12,000 hectares of land in the Mantanyani cluster for agricultural production and management. The mapping covered Mayoba Agriculture Camp in Mayoba Ward. To determine physical and chemical properties of the soil, samples were collected from 104 sampling points around 20 soil profile pits opened to measure bulk density and texture, soil depth and drainage conditions, percentage of stoniness, and presence of mottles and organic materials such as roots and leaves. The land capability mapping was led by the Department of Agriculture and Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), and Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) with participation of selected community members and support from the COLANDS project management team (supported, in turn, by CIFOR-ICRAF.)
In December 2023 the COLANDS team participated in a gender study in Kalomo. The objectives were:
- to study gendered dynamics in the landscape use and management, including access to landscape resources, with particular focus on identifying any disparities between different social groups (gender, class, ethnicity);
- to study integration and participation of women in landscape governance, with the goal of identifying opportunities for greater inclusion and engagement; and
- to gather information to inform the inclusion of gender in ILAs, policy and program development to promote gender equity and effective landscape governance.
Participants provided information through key informant interviews including all three traditional chiefs (Chief Chikanta, Sipatunyana and Siachitema) in Kalomo district. Interviews were also conducted with ten persons working for government institutions, and three interviewees working for civil society organizations.
Looking ahead, the COLANDs team’s work plans in the Kalomo landscape over the next 16 months includes development and adoption of a biodiversity management plan covering 100,000 hectares for sustainable land use, potentially using the community landscapes management groups or community conservation areas.
