Conservation agriculture (CA) emerged as an alternative innovation to conventional agriculture due to losses in soil productivity as a result of soil degradation. This study investigated factors affecting the adoption...Conservation agriculture (CA) emerged as an alternative innovation to conventional agriculture due to losses in soil productivity as a result of soil degradation. This study investigated factors affecting the adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the Mpatsa Extension Planning Area in a southern district of Malawi, Nsanje. A quantitative method approach was followed where were collected from a sample of 110 targeted smallholder farmers in the study area using a semi-structured questionnaire where the majority (63.6%) were women. Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were also done to triangulate data on questionnaires. Data were entered into a Microsoft Excel database and analyzed in SPSS version 20. Socio-economic, environmental factors and household income have a greater impact on the adoption of conservation agricultural innovations. Animals were found to cause permanent soil cover disturbance while feeding on crop residues leaving the soil bare. The study concluded that climatic factors and CA training have negatively affected the adoption of new agricultural innovations, therefore, recommending further training and extension support for CA adoption as well as more access to credit opportunities for increased households’ adoption of CA.展开更多
Community participation in forestry management is a good approach to protecting forests and woodlands. This study was carried out to assess factors affecting community participation in forestry management in Chiradzul...Community participation in forestry management is a good approach to protecting forests and woodlands. This study was carried out to assess factors affecting community participation in forestry management in Chiradzulu District. The study employed a mixed-method approach where qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Results showed that there is an almost equal percentage of female and male respondents who participated in forestry management. The Logit model analysis shows that education variables are positive and statistically significant proving that education influences participation in forestry management and hence education is an important variable in determining households’ participation in forestry. Only the age group of 45 - 59 years was significant but had a negative coefficient with a moderate marginal effect at 59% (r = 0.59) implying that many people in this age group participated in forestry activities than other age groups. When the size of household land ownership was used as a proxy to indicate household wealth and then correlated with participation in forestry activities, a positive and significant correlation between households that owned 1 - 2 acres and 3 - 5 acres of land and their participation in forestry activities was observed. It can be concluded that the size of land owned is one of the key factors that determine households’ participation in forestry management. Furthermore, a connection between land size distribution and effects on environmental resources was evident.展开更多
Challenges with access to electricity are global but becoming increasingly high in Malawi where more than 96% of the electricity is produced from hydro generation. Energy sources for electricity production can be rene...Challenges with access to electricity are global but becoming increasingly high in Malawi where more than 96% of the electricity is produced from hydro generation. Energy sources for electricity production can be renewable or non-renewable. Due to many challenges facing hydropower production such as water levels, debris in the inlet ponds, etc., renewable energy sources that produce clean energy such as solar power are becoming common. However, despite such opportunities, access to electricity whether renewable (solar) or non-renewable (hydro production) to many people in urban areas in Malawi is still a challenge. A household survey was carried out involving 100 households aimed to establish factors that influence the use of solar energy technology in Machinjiri, one of the townships in the city of Blantyre, in southern Malawi. Only 32% of the households have access to solar energy. Results indicated that the level of education attained has an influence on the peoples’ choices to use solar technology. In this regard, respondents with basic primary school certificate reported 8% while those with college education reported 32% and those with higher education, Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) reported 52% use of solar energy for lighting. Some of the reasons for not using solar energy include: low production during winter (55%), not durable (23%), no knowledge (18%) and others mention combined reasons (4%). Only a few people use solar energy for lighting. Therefore, there is a need for the government and non-governmental organizations to continue sensitizing people on the importance of using renewable energy such as solar energy. Furthermore, the government should create deliberate conditions to make solar energy equipment affordable to many Malawians with low incomes.展开更多
Forests are vital for the environment through the support which they provide to biodiversity. They also provide cultural, social and economic support to human welfare. Forest degradation is attributed to multiple land...Forests are vital for the environment through the support which they provide to biodiversity. They also provide cultural, social and economic support to human welfare. Forest degradation is attributed to multiple land uses which include agriculture, human settlement, the use of trees as the main source of energy and other infrastructure development. The main objective of the study was to assess factors that influence community participation in forest management in Kangankundi village forest area in Balaka District, Southern Malawi. Simple random sampling was used to select 100 community members who were interviewed in the study. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 22. The results showed positive significant relationship between community awareness and community participation (p = 0.015), and also between economic benefits and community involvement (p = 0.003). Involvement was not affected by income-generating activity which showed that (p = 0.781) and level of education (p = 0.535). Community awareness and economic benefits appear to be the main factors influencing community participation. Firewood and bamboos were noted to be the most resource obtained from the forest and beekeeping was also the income-generating activity in the study which is being promoted. It is concluded that community participation is influenced by many factors. The study recommends that youth must be deliberately involved in forest management as opposed to the current participation which is dominated by elderly people.展开更多
Invasive alien plant species have threatened the integrity of ecosystems and threatened biological integrity throughout the world. In the Nyika National Park, a number of alien invasive plant species have been reporte...Invasive alien plant species have threatened the integrity of ecosystems and threatened biological integrity throughout the world. In the Nyika National Park, a number of alien invasive plant species have been reported. These invasive alien plants are reported to be very difficult that have caused adverse ecological, economic and social impact. The main objective of this study is to assess the environmental impact of plant invasive alien species in Nyika National Park in order to ascertain means of addressing the possible effects on the biodiversity. This study adopted an exploratory stance in order to answer <span>the hypotheses where purposive and simple random sampling was used. P</span>ur<span>posive sampling was only used to the staff of Nyika while simple random s</span>ampling was used to collect data from households surrounding Nyika National Park. The results revealed that invasive alien plant species have some ecological impacts of on the biodiversity of the Nyika National Park like change in physical habitats such as loss of native habitats, alteration of ground water regime, drying of rivers, loss of native species and alteration of biomass. The study would therefore be important to policy makers in guiding and devel<span>opment of policies and guidelines governing eradication of invasive alien pl</span>ant species. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) can form partnership with various stakeholders with a clearly stated intention of developing a relationship, based on collaboration to enhance the control of invading alien plant species and the best management practices.展开更多
文摘Conservation agriculture (CA) emerged as an alternative innovation to conventional agriculture due to losses in soil productivity as a result of soil degradation. This study investigated factors affecting the adoption of Conservation Agriculture in the Mpatsa Extension Planning Area in a southern district of Malawi, Nsanje. A quantitative method approach was followed where were collected from a sample of 110 targeted smallholder farmers in the study area using a semi-structured questionnaire where the majority (63.6%) were women. Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were also done to triangulate data on questionnaires. Data were entered into a Microsoft Excel database and analyzed in SPSS version 20. Socio-economic, environmental factors and household income have a greater impact on the adoption of conservation agricultural innovations. Animals were found to cause permanent soil cover disturbance while feeding on crop residues leaving the soil bare. The study concluded that climatic factors and CA training have negatively affected the adoption of new agricultural innovations, therefore, recommending further training and extension support for CA adoption as well as more access to credit opportunities for increased households’ adoption of CA.
文摘Community participation in forestry management is a good approach to protecting forests and woodlands. This study was carried out to assess factors affecting community participation in forestry management in Chiradzulu District. The study employed a mixed-method approach where qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Results showed that there is an almost equal percentage of female and male respondents who participated in forestry management. The Logit model analysis shows that education variables are positive and statistically significant proving that education influences participation in forestry management and hence education is an important variable in determining households’ participation in forestry. Only the age group of 45 - 59 years was significant but had a negative coefficient with a moderate marginal effect at 59% (r = 0.59) implying that many people in this age group participated in forestry activities than other age groups. When the size of household land ownership was used as a proxy to indicate household wealth and then correlated with participation in forestry activities, a positive and significant correlation between households that owned 1 - 2 acres and 3 - 5 acres of land and their participation in forestry activities was observed. It can be concluded that the size of land owned is one of the key factors that determine households’ participation in forestry management. Furthermore, a connection between land size distribution and effects on environmental resources was evident.
文摘Challenges with access to electricity are global but becoming increasingly high in Malawi where more than 96% of the electricity is produced from hydro generation. Energy sources for electricity production can be renewable or non-renewable. Due to many challenges facing hydropower production such as water levels, debris in the inlet ponds, etc., renewable energy sources that produce clean energy such as solar power are becoming common. However, despite such opportunities, access to electricity whether renewable (solar) or non-renewable (hydro production) to many people in urban areas in Malawi is still a challenge. A household survey was carried out involving 100 households aimed to establish factors that influence the use of solar energy technology in Machinjiri, one of the townships in the city of Blantyre, in southern Malawi. Only 32% of the households have access to solar energy. Results indicated that the level of education attained has an influence on the peoples’ choices to use solar technology. In this regard, respondents with basic primary school certificate reported 8% while those with college education reported 32% and those with higher education, Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) reported 52% use of solar energy for lighting. Some of the reasons for not using solar energy include: low production during winter (55%), not durable (23%), no knowledge (18%) and others mention combined reasons (4%). Only a few people use solar energy for lighting. Therefore, there is a need for the government and non-governmental organizations to continue sensitizing people on the importance of using renewable energy such as solar energy. Furthermore, the government should create deliberate conditions to make solar energy equipment affordable to many Malawians with low incomes.
文摘Forests are vital for the environment through the support which they provide to biodiversity. They also provide cultural, social and economic support to human welfare. Forest degradation is attributed to multiple land uses which include agriculture, human settlement, the use of trees as the main source of energy and other infrastructure development. The main objective of the study was to assess factors that influence community participation in forest management in Kangankundi village forest area in Balaka District, Southern Malawi. Simple random sampling was used to select 100 community members who were interviewed in the study. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 22. The results showed positive significant relationship between community awareness and community participation (p = 0.015), and also between economic benefits and community involvement (p = 0.003). Involvement was not affected by income-generating activity which showed that (p = 0.781) and level of education (p = 0.535). Community awareness and economic benefits appear to be the main factors influencing community participation. Firewood and bamboos were noted to be the most resource obtained from the forest and beekeeping was also the income-generating activity in the study which is being promoted. It is concluded that community participation is influenced by many factors. The study recommends that youth must be deliberately involved in forest management as opposed to the current participation which is dominated by elderly people.
文摘Invasive alien plant species have threatened the integrity of ecosystems and threatened biological integrity throughout the world. In the Nyika National Park, a number of alien invasive plant species have been reported. These invasive alien plants are reported to be very difficult that have caused adverse ecological, economic and social impact. The main objective of this study is to assess the environmental impact of plant invasive alien species in Nyika National Park in order to ascertain means of addressing the possible effects on the biodiversity. This study adopted an exploratory stance in order to answer <span>the hypotheses where purposive and simple random sampling was used. P</span>ur<span>posive sampling was only used to the staff of Nyika while simple random s</span>ampling was used to collect data from households surrounding Nyika National Park. The results revealed that invasive alien plant species have some ecological impacts of on the biodiversity of the Nyika National Park like change in physical habitats such as loss of native habitats, alteration of ground water regime, drying of rivers, loss of native species and alteration of biomass. The study would therefore be important to policy makers in guiding and devel<span>opment of policies and guidelines governing eradication of invasive alien pl</span>ant species. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) can form partnership with various stakeholders with a clearly stated intention of developing a relationship, based on collaboration to enhance the control of invading alien plant species and the best management practices.
