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  Socio- economic dimensions and community behavior towards pinus patula spread in communities around mulanje mountain forest reserve and Misuku hills forest reserve, Malawi.

  (2025) Dambo, Cosmas

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  Pinus patula is increasingly invading Malawi’s montane ecosystems, with Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve (MMFR) and Misuku Hills Forest Reserve (MHFR) showing notable spread into community lands. While pines were introduced for timber and livelihood support, their rapid expansion now threatens biodiversity, water resources, and arable land. This is creating socio-ecological trade-offs that remain poorly quantified in Malawi. This study addresses the research problem of limited empirical evidence on both the benefits and costs of P. patula invasion, and how community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) shape management responses. The study aimed to characterize spatial distribution of P. patula, assess community KAP toward the species, and analyse socio-economic costs and benefits to local livelihoods. A mixed-methods design was used, including household surveys (n=175), FDG, spatial mapping using QGIS, and opportunity cost–analyses. Non-parametric statistics (Spearman correlations, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests at 5% significance) were used to analyse variable relationships. The findings revealed spontaneousness spread in Mulanje, while in Misuku it mostly persists in smallholder woodlots. Community awareness and attitudes were generally high in both sites, but improvement in practices was limited in Misuku, influenced by institutional and livelihood constraints. Economically, P. patula contributes income through timber, poles, and fuelwood; however, opportunity cost assessment indicated that diversified crops e.g., maize, coffee yield short term stable returns. The study concludes that P. patula is a classic “conflict-of-interest” invasive species providing socioeconomic benefits while simultaneously degrading ecological integrity and undermining biodiversity-based livelihoods. Therefore, effective management must integrate local social equity and ecological restoration measures. It is recommended that Malawi strengthens participatory invasive species management, promotes alternative livelihood options, and aligns local interventions with the National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commitments.

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  Determinants, challenges and opportunities in cultivating underutilized crops: Case of mombezi extension planning area in Chiradzulu District, Malawi.

  (2026) Nalivata, Courtney

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  Cultivation and utilization of underutilized crops is gaining attention globally, including in Malawi, due to their diverse benefits to humans and the environment. Despite this potential, their mainstreaming faces several challenges. This study investigated the challenges and opportunities in cultivating underutilized crops in Mombezi EPA, Chiradzulu District, Malawi. An explanatory sequential design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection through questionnaires and interviews. A total of 268 respondents were interviewed, with quantitative data analysed in SPSS version 27 and qualitative data coded using NVivo version 14. Findings revealed that farmers in Mombezi EPA cultivate a range of underutilized crops including Velvet beans (20.9%), Elephant beans (18.5%), Cowpeas (16.9%), Sorghum (16.1%), Garbanzo beans (15.7%), Hyacinth beans (15.3%), Pigeon peas (14.1%), Bambara nuts (13.7%), Millet (12.0%), Coco yams (3.6%), Okra (2.8%) and Amaranthus (2.0%). Farmers identified major challenges hindering production such as limited seed access (M=4.18), lack of knowledge in processing and value addition (M=3.85), inadequate extension services (M=3.97), poor access to affordable credit (M=4.41), and insufficient land (M=3.60). On the other hand, they noted opportunities including structured markets (M=3.69), high consumer demand (M=3.97), available labour (M=3.80), increasing food demand (M=4.34), fertile soils (M=3.49), and contributions to nutrition security (M=4.46). Chi-square analysis indicated significant associations between gender and cultivation of Bambara nuts (p=0.026) and Hyacinth beans (p=0.012), while awareness influenced cultivation of Velvet beans (p=0.047). Taste preferences significantly affected the cultivation of Velvet beans (p=0.021) and Coco yams (p=0.024). Labour availability was linked to Pigeon peas (p=0.039), Garbanzo beans (p=0.049) and Coco yams (p=0.021). The study concludes that strengthening land allocation, seed access, extension services, farmer training and credit facilities is essential. It further recommends integrated strategies involving awareness campaigns, cooperatives, gender-sensitive policies and infrastructure improvements to sustainably enhance underutilized crop production in Mombezi EPA.

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  Prevalence and barriers of hiv status disclosure among children aged 6-12 years in Kasungu, Malawi.

  (2026) Mkangala, Miriam Malijani

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  Over the past years, the global community and individual countries have made progress in meeting the needs of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). This includes knowledge about their HIV status which needs to be age tailored and be gradually informed. Nevertheless, to date, researchers have focused on child and primary care giver experiences. Little is known about prevalence and barriers of HIV status disclosure among children aged 6 to 12 years old. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and the barriers of HIV status disclosure to children aged 6 to 12 years old in Kasungu, Malawi. A mixed method research approach and a transformative missed methods design were used in this study to explore the HIV status disclosure phenomenon and establish its gravity. A census sampling strategy was employed to include participants into the study. Survey questionnaire, in-depths key informant interview guide, and audio-recorder were used to collect data from all health care workers working in antiretroviral clinics who interacts with children in Kasungu, Malawi. Participants were interviewed to assess if they practice and their perspectives and the barriers encountered. Data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that a small percentage (12%) of health care workers reported disclosure of HIV status to children. A significant proportion (72%) reported that they had never disclosed HIV status to children. The major barriers to disclosure were the age of the child, the fear of the consequences of disclosure, need for private space and the child's inability to maintain privacy regarding their diagnosis. The study further highlights the relevance for providing the appropriate training and mentorship on HIV status disclosure for health care workers among children and necessary resources.

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  Determinants and barriers of adoption of hermetic bags as post-harvest management storage technology among smallholder farmers in Chikhwawa District.

  (2026) Kapulula, Kennedy Cristiano

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  This study assessed the determinants and barriers to the adoption of hermetic bag storage technology among smallholder farmers in Chikhwawa District. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a quantitative survey of 346 randomly selected households with qualitative methods including six focus group discussions and five key informant interviews that were conducted until saturation point was reached. Quantitative data were analyzed using logistic regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to provide deeper insights into farmers' experiences and perceptions. Results revealed that 74.57% of respondents were aware of hermetic bags, primarily through extension workers (37.28%) and lead farmers (31.50%). The logistic regression model (Pseudo R² = 0.261, p < 0.001) identified age (β = 0.045, p = 0.002), gender (β = -1.305, p = 0.006), education (β = 8.018, p = 0.018), household size (β = -0.741, p < 0.001), and extension worker interaction (β = 0.777, p = 0.039) as significant determinants of adoption. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, with adopters expressing satisfaction with improved grain quality and reduced pest damage, stating that grains remained fresh for months without chemical treatments. However, non-adopters voiced concerns about high initial costs, limited availability in local markets, and insufficient knowledge about proper sealing techniques. Key informants, including agricultural extension officers, emphasized that improper usage compromised the bags' effectiveness, highlighting the need for comprehensive training programmes. Major barriers identified through both methods included high cost, scarcity, and limited knowledge on usage. Adopters reported significant benefits including grain quality preservation, reusability and reduced post-harvest losses. The study recommends strengthening extension services to enhance farmer awareness and knowledge and developing subsidies or credit schemes to improve affordability and accessibility of hermetic bags among smallholder farmers.

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  Socio- economic benefits of collaborative management approach to communities around Nyika National Park, Nothern Malawi.

  (2026) Kataya, Maisa Chulu

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  Many protected areas (PAs) have followed the conventional and exclusionary approaches to preserve and conserve the flora and fauna. In some cases, these approaches have triggered adverse social impacts on local communities, disrupting their traditional ways of living and limiting their control of and access to natural resources. As such, inclusive approaches such as the Collaborative Management (CM) were introduced for the communities to be involved in the management of natural resources whilst deriving benefits from the PAs. However, the impact of these approaches on communities has not been adequately explored. Since the introduction of the CM to Nyika, the community is still not fully supporting wildlife conservation, which means limited benefits. The overall objective of this study was to assess the socio-economic benefits of the Collaborative Management approach to the communities around Nyika National Park. A mixed research approach was conducted in communities around Nyika National Park. The data collection tools included questionnaire, where a survey was conducted on 250 households, six focus group discussions, and 7 key informant interviews. The study results found that communities perceive Collaborative Management as an approach that, is a suitable for park management, and can contribute a lot towards the socio-economic status of communities and can reduce poaching. In addition, passion for conservation of wildlife (26%), economic benefits (30%), Resource Use Programme (32%), and safeguarding properties from animals (12%) are motivational factors for community participation in Collaborative Management of Nyika National Park. The study found that the CM approach has many socioeconomic benefits to communities. The study recommends enhancing benefit sharing procedures to ensure that all members have equal opportunities to benefit. It also suggests focusing on both individuals and the broader community to maximize socio-economic gains at the local level.

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