- Title
- Land degradation and livelihood strategies in rural Zimbabwe: the case of two A1 farms in Shurugwi District
- Creator
- Nciizah, Tendai
- ThesisAdvisor
- Helliker, Kirk
- Subject
- Land degradation Zimbabwe
- Subject
- Sustainable livelihood
- Subject
- Shurugwi District
- Subject
- Conservation of natural resources Zimbabwe
- Subject
- Land reform Zimbabwe
- Date
- 2022-10-14
- Type
- Academic theses
- Type
- Doctoral theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365989
- Identifier
- vital:65808
- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365989
- Description
- Land degradation is a global phenomenon which is having serious negative consequences for rural livelihoods, which depend quite fundamentally on land and its resources. At the same time, one of the key conditions contributing to land degradation relates to rural livelihood practices, insofar as these practices fail to protect the land. Hence, there sometimes exists a mutually-reinforcing process of decline, in relation to both land vitality and livelihoods vitality over time. This thesis seeks to investigate and understand this complex land-livelihoods process through a case study of two fast track farms in the Shurugwi District of contemporary Zimbabwe. In the year 2000, the Zimbabwean government introduced the fast track land reform programme which fundamentally reconfigured the rural landscape. In particular, it led to the formation of A1 farms (containing small-scale farming units called A1 plots), onto which people were resettled for purposes of enhancing their livelihoods. The case study focuses on two A1 farms in the district, namely, Selukwe Peak and Adare farms. Through a longitudinal study of land and livelihoods on these A1 farms, this study seeks to identify the multi-faceted character of land degradation on the farms, the multi-layered conditions (or causes) facilitating land degradation (specifically, the farm-based livelihood practices) and the effects of this land degradation on these very livelihood practices. This includes a focus on farmers’ understandings of land degradation and how these understandings may or may not condition livelihood practices on the two farms. Of particular importance is the presence of not only agricultural practices, but also high levels of illegal and legal mining on the farms and in the surrounding areas. In pursuing this study, the thesis draws upon the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach alongside Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic sociological perspective. Combined, they provide an intricate understanding of the relevance of both structure and agency to the analysis. A qualitative methodology was used, and this involved a questionnaire survey, in- depth interviews, life histories, focus group discussions and transect walks. The study concludes that the livelihood strategies undertaken by the villagers of Selukwe Peak and Adare farms are key causes of land degradation, as are the land-degrading activities of illegal and legal miners. The A1 villagers are aware that their activities are causing land degradation but they continue these activities because they are pushed by circumstances beyond their control. Hence, both proximate and underlying causes are of some significance in understanding land degradation and livelihoods on the two farms, and their interrelationships.
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (299 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Humanities, Sociology
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nciizah, Tendai
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)
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RU Department of Sociology
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | NCIIZAH-PHD-TR22-214.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |