Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area

Land cover change is a characteristic reflection of a human society interacting with the physical environment. The Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area is a human settled area endowed with a variety of wildlife (elephants, lions, and buffalo) and wild lands (Dry...

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Autor principal: Kusena, Kudzai
Formato: H2
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: SLU/Swedish Biodiversity Centre 2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://www.cbm.slu.se/eng/mastersprog/thesis2009/Nr%2062%20Kudzai%20Kusena.pdf
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author Kusena, Kudzai
author_browse Kusena, Kudzai
author_facet Kusena, Kudzai
author_sort Kusena, Kudzai
collection Epsilon Archive for Student Projects
description Land cover change is a characteristic reflection of a human society interacting with the physical environment. The Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area is a human settled area endowed with a variety of wildlife (elephants, lions, and buffalo) and wild lands (Dry forests and Miombo ecosystems). However, human-elephant conflicts are known to occur whenever these two species inhabit the same area, which poses serious threat to elephant conservation. The study mapped the extent of land cover changes over a 19-year period (1989, 2001, and 2008). Landsat™ satellite images were analysed to interpret and detect spatial and temporal land cover changes. Relative to change detection analysis the community perception on the state and cause of human-elephant conflicts and the role of conservation policies were captured through targeted questionnaire guided discussions. Deforestation, cultivation, and human-elephant conflicts increased over the period under review and forest classes decreased while the cultivation class increased. Human-elephant conflict hot spots increased, predominantly in areas where cultivation, settlement, and water sources coincide. Agriculture for livelihood was the major factor driving agricultural extensification in ZiMoZa. Weak policing, poor user rights, and pseudo decentralisation of power were policy issues found influencing community resentment towards conservation initiatives in ZiMoZa. The study concluded that extensification of agriculture and human-elephant conflicts will continue to increase in the study area and suggests the need for a paradigm shift from agricultural based livelihood to conservation-based livelihood.
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spelling RepoSLU6512012-04-20T14:10:24Z Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area Kusena, Kudzai Change detection geographic information system (GIS) human-elephant conflicts land cover policy Zimbabwe- Mozambique Zambia ZiMoZa Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area Land cover change is a characteristic reflection of a human society interacting with the physical environment. The Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area is a human settled area endowed with a variety of wildlife (elephants, lions, and buffalo) and wild lands (Dry forests and Miombo ecosystems). However, human-elephant conflicts are known to occur whenever these two species inhabit the same area, which poses serious threat to elephant conservation. The study mapped the extent of land cover changes over a 19-year period (1989, 2001, and 2008). Landsat™ satellite images were analysed to interpret and detect spatial and temporal land cover changes. Relative to change detection analysis the community perception on the state and cause of human-elephant conflicts and the role of conservation policies were captured through targeted questionnaire guided discussions. Deforestation, cultivation, and human-elephant conflicts increased over the period under review and forest classes decreased while the cultivation class increased. Human-elephant conflict hot spots increased, predominantly in areas where cultivation, settlement, and water sources coincide. Agriculture for livelihood was the major factor driving agricultural extensification in ZiMoZa. Weak policing, poor user rights, and pseudo decentralisation of power were policy issues found influencing community resentment towards conservation initiatives in ZiMoZa. The study concluded that extensification of agriculture and human-elephant conflicts will continue to increase in the study area and suggests the need for a paradigm shift from agricultural based livelihood to conservation-based livelihood. SLU/Swedish Biodiversity Centre 2009 H2 eng http://www.cbm.slu.se/eng/mastersprog/thesis2009/Nr%2062%20Kudzai%20Kusena.pdf https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/651/
spellingShingle Change detection
geographic information system (GIS)
human-elephant conflicts
land cover
policy
Zimbabwe-
Mozambique
Zambia
ZiMoZa Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area
Kusena, Kudzai
Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title_full Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title_fullStr Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title_full_unstemmed Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title_short Land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia (ZiMoZa) Transboundary Natural Resource Management Area
title_sort land cover change and its impact on human-elephant conflicts in the zimbabwe, mozambique and zambia (zimoza) transboundary natural resource management area
topic Change detection
geographic information system (GIS)
human-elephant conflicts
land cover
policy
Zimbabwe-
Mozambique
Zambia
ZiMoZa Transboundary Natural Resources Management Area
url http://www.cbm.slu.se/eng/mastersprog/thesis2009/Nr%2062%20Kudzai%20Kusena.pdf