Theses and Dissertations (Faculty of Environmental Sciences)repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/172024-03-28T09:58:02Z2024-03-28T09:58:02ZExploring the potential of household approach in enhancing women participation in farm decisions making processes in Mzimba North, MalawiMbakaya, Beatricerepository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/5232024-03-21T07:32:04Z2022-09-01T00:00:00ZExploring the potential of household approach in enhancing women participation in farm decisions making processes in Mzimba North, Malawi
Mbakaya, Beatrice
Against the background of a continued low participation of women in farm decision making
processes, Household Approach, the gender-transformative participatory extension, was
adopted, adapted, piloted and up-scaled in a number of districts in Malawi including Mzimba North to enhance women participation in farm decision making processes among other reasons.
This study aimed at exploring the potential of Household Approach in enhancing women
participation in farm decision making processes. Informed by a pragmatic philosophical
underpinning and a mixed method research design, this study was guided by feministic
theoretical framework and participatory tenets. Individual interviews and photo voice were the main methods of data generation. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic approach and quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Local facilitators had average knowledge in Household Approach with a mean score of 54.73 (SD 7.92) and a range of 41-67%. Household Approach is implemented through agriculture cooperatives and model villages. Women took joint decisions in all farm decision making processes with a higher participation score in household visioning (0.91) compared to men (0.83) and youth (0.44).
Unveiled through photo voice, factors that facilitate participation in farm decision making
include: availability of resources, time, markets and records, knowledge in Household
Approach, health status, food security status, stability of homes, sharing of benefits, potential enterprise benefits and distance to farms. In conclusion, inclusion, equity, sharing, transparency and accountability participatory values incorporated in the Household Approach, addressed most factors limiting women participation in farm decision making process thereby enhancing their participation in most farm decision making processes. However, this study recommends a multi-sectoral approach to the implementation of Household Approach to share implementation costs
2022-09-01T00:00:00ZTowards a Framework for Flood Vulnerability Assessment in Rural and Urban Informal Settlements in Malawi: A Study of Karonga District and Lilongwe CityMwalwimba, Isaac Kadonorepository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/4782023-10-04T17:42:14Z2023-08-11T00:00:00ZTowards a Framework for Flood Vulnerability Assessment in Rural and Urban Informal Settlements in Malawi: A Study of Karonga District and Lilongwe City
Mwalwimba, Isaac Kadono
Flood vulnerability assessment (FVA) is a significant step for developing flood mitigation plan. However, there is lack of FVA that proposes a framework to support flood mitigation and preparedness in rural and urban areas of Malawi. This informed the need to assess households’ flood vulnerability (HFV) in Mtandire ward of Lilongwe city (LC) and Traditional Authority Kilupula of Karonga district (KD) in order to propose a FVA framework for rural and urban informal settlements in Malawi. Analysing spatial-temporal flood vulnerability (FV), predicting HFV, assessing perception of HFV and evaluating household adaptive capacity were the focus of this study. These were attained using flood frequency analysis (FFA), indicator-based method and hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment (HVCA) approach. Baseline data was collected from Departments of Water Resources and Disaster Management Affairs in the Ministries of Water and Sanitation and Natural Resources and Climate Change respectively. A household survey was used to collect data from a sample of 545 households’ participants, 17 key informants and 21 location points. Statistical methods (Gumbel, R and SPSS), ArcGIS 10.8, Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and qualitative data analysis (QDA) miner level 6.0 were used for data analysis. The Flood Vulnerability Index (FVI) was applied to determine HFV. The results found a higher expected floods for Lingadzi compared to Lufilya catchments in LC and KD respectively at different return periods. The results further show a higher flood risk in T/A Kilupula of KD (6) compared to Mtandire Ward in LC (2). The FVI revealed high HFV on Enviro-Exposure Factors (EEFs) ( 0.9 ) in LC and (0.8) in KD, followed by Eco-Resilience Factors (ERFs) (0.8) in KD and(0.6) in LC and Physio-Exposure Factors (PEFs) (0.5) in LC besides 0.6 in KD. The findings show that perception of household flood vulnerability is significant by age (0.0065), education (0.0045) and marital status (0.0085) in LC, while only occupation is significant in KD. The findings revealed high (3), medium (2) and low (1) for the respective of physical, social organisation and economic livelihoods adaptive capacity measures. The study developed the framework with a reconstituted equation as sum of UVFs, VCs, hazard (H) and (-) adaptive capacity (AC). The FVA reveals variations of causes that contribute to households’ flood vulnerability. The study recommends that FVA framework can be applied in promoting resilience of communities to mitigate flood risks and key component for planning and decision-making process.
2023-08-11T00:00:00ZLand Use and Land Cover Re-Patterning as a Method for Streamflow Regime Modification in Lilongwe River Catchment in MalawiSibande, Chawezi O.repository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/4692024-03-21T08:13:17Z2021-01-01T00:00:00ZLand Use and Land Cover Re-Patterning as a Method for Streamflow Regime Modification in Lilongwe River Catchment in Malawi
Sibande, Chawezi O.
Land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) have been increasingly shown to exacerbate water-related problems such as floods and droughts worldwide. Malawi has not been spared such issues despite the reported opportunities for ameliorating the same through land use or cover (LUC) re-patterning. Using Lilongwe River Catchment as a case in point, this study set out to assess LUC re-patterning as a method for modifying streamflow regimes in Malawi. The study assessed the period from 2020 to 2049 and it was conducted by initially identifying the current land cover pattern in Lilongwe River Catchment using remote sensing techniques such as atmospheric correction and image classification. The streamflow regime resulting from this land cover pattern was then determined using a hydrological model known as the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), and climate modelling techniques. Practical land use patterns for the catchment were then determined using the Dynamic Conversion of Land Use and its Effects (Dyna-CLUE) model. An ideal streamflow regime was then later defined based on information obtained from a systematic review of literature, existing legal instruments and institutional frameworks governing land use planning in Malawi. The effect of each land use scenario (n = 6) on the Lilongwe River flow regime was then examined to determine which scenario yielded ideal streamflow requirements for the catchment under different climatic conditions (n = 3). Calibration and validation of the SWAT model yielded satisfactory values of Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Coefficient of Determination (R2) of 0.65 and 0.64 for the calibration period, and 0.62 and 0.62 for the validation period respectively. Results of the study demonstrated that all identified land use scenarios improved the river’s streamflow regime, though not enough to meet the minimum 2049 projected demand of 5 m3/s. The best combination of land use and climate scenario yielded potentially helpful positive changes of up to +4% (0.5 m3/s) in dry season flow and +3% (0.8 m3/s) in wet season flow. It was thus concluded that LUC re-patterning may not be the best tool for modifying streamflow regimes in Lilongwe river catchment. Some evidence suggests repetition of this study in other catchments in Malawi may however show variations against the current conclusion since hydro-climatic conditions vary across the country. Further assessments on the same are thus strongly recommended.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZNexus of Human Factor and Road Geometrics on Traffic Accidents along Mzuzu - Jenda M1 Road StretchKhendlo, Japhet Nelsonrepository.mzuni.ac.mw/handle/123456789/4682024-03-21T08:13:47Z2021-01-01T00:00:00ZNexus of Human Factor and Road Geometrics on Traffic Accidents along Mzuzu - Jenda M1 Road Stretch
Khendlo, Japhet Nelson
In Malawi, approximately 20 road traffic accidents occur every day and about 1000 people are killed every year. Mzuzu-Jenda M1 road is one of the accidents prone stretches. Although the road serves as a back-borne route for inputs and exports to and from neighbouring countries, it has had several fatal accidents. This study was conducted to analyse factors leading to accidents in selected hot spots. Specifically, the study looked at the geometric elements of the road, human behaviour leading to accidents, relationship between road geometric elements and human behaviour and its impact on road accidents and modelling alternative road design alignment on accident-prone sections. The methodology included identifying accident-prone areas, conducting topographic surveys to extract geometric elements of road, conducting in-depth interviews with drivers and passengers, and monitoring the speed of the vehicles on those accident-prone areas. Results show Mapanjira, Chilerawalanda, Kasitu, Champhira and Ruviri are the most accident-prone areas. In these areas, geometric elements of super-elevation, sight stopping distance, horizontal clearance, the radius of the curves, lane and shoulder width are less than what is recommended by road design standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Southern African Transportation and Communications. The geometric elements have made these spots hazardous for drivers even driving at the recommended speed limit. Further, drivers drive at an average high speed of 78 km/hr representing a 30% increase beyond the recommended speed limit of 50 km/hr. The high speed combined with flaws in the geometric elements of the road makes it more likely for drivers to get involved in traffic accidents. The study recommends to properly construct the road sections following the road design standards in the design manuals and widen the shoulder to provide enough horizontal clearance and cushion the sharpens of the curves.
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