Migration, Local Politics and CAMPFIRE

Over the years there has been, in Southern Africa, a steady flow of populations from the overcrowded communal areas into those marginal zones which previously were sparsely populated. Usually it is post-independent leadership which encourages and facilitates settlement into these marginal areas currently occupied by minority ethnic groups which have failed to secure political representation since independence. The influx of people into these marginal areas affects the development of existing programmes aimed at sustainable utilization of natural resources. This article shows how politicians in Zimbabwe facilitate the resettlement of people into the previously sparsely populated Zambezi Valley. In addition, it shows that the huge influx of people into the valley has tended to affect the development of a community-based natural resource management project which was starting to benefit the Tonga people.US Agency for International Development (USAID

People, Patches, and Parasites: The Case of Trypanosomiasis in Zimbabwe

Understanding the socio-ecology of disease requires careful attention to the role of patches within disease landscapes. Such patches, and the interfaces between different socio-epidemiological systems, we argue, have important implications for disease control.We conducted an interdisciplinary study over three years to investigate the spatial dynamics of human and animal trypanosomiasis in the Zambezi valley, Zimbabwe. We used a habitat niche model to identify changes in suitable habitat for tsetse fly vectors over time, and this is related to local villagers’ understandings of where flies are found. Fly trapping and blood DNA analysis of livestock highlighted the patchy distribution of both flies and trypanosome parasites. Through livelihoods analysis we explored who makes use of what areas of the landscape and when, identifying the social groups most at risk. We conclude with a discussion of the practical implications, including the need for an integrated ‘One Health’ approach involving targeted approaches to both vector control and surveillance

Engaging Research with Policy and Action: What are the Challenges of Responding to Zoonotic Disease in Africa?

Zoonotic diseases will maintain a high level of public policy attention in the coming decades. From the spectre of a global pandemic to anxieties over agricultural change, urbanization, social inequality and threats to natural ecosystems, effectively preparing and responding to endemic and emerging diseases will require technological, institutional and social innovation. Much current discussion emphasizes the need for a ‘One Health’ approach: bridging disciplines and sectors to tackle these complex dynamics. However, as attention has increased, so too has an appreciation of the practical challenges in linking multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral research with policy, action and impact. In this commentary paper, we reflect on these issues with particular reference to the African sub-continent. We structure the themes of our analysis on the existing literature, expert opinion and 11 interviews with leading One Health scholars and practitioners, conducted at an international symposium in 2016. We highlight a variety of challenges in research and knowledge production, in the difficult terrain of implementation and outreach, and in the politicized nature of decision-making and priority setting. We then turn our attention to a number of strategies that might help reconfigure current pathways and accepted norms of practice. These include: (i) challenging scientific expertise; (ii) strengthening national multi-sectoral coordination; (iii) building on what works; and (iv) re-framing policy narratives. We argue that bridging the research-policy-action interface in Africa, and better connecting zoonoses, ecosystems and well-being in the twenty-first century, will ultimately require greater attention to the democratization of science and public policy. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’

Migration, local politics and CAMPFIRE

US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Natural Resources Management Project (NRMP) Phase II,O ver the years there has been, in Southern Africa, a steady flow o f populations from the overcrowded com munal areas into those m arginal zones which previously were sparsely populated. U sually it is post-independent leadership which encourages and facilitates settlem ent into these m arginal areas currently occupied b y m inohty ethnic groups which have failed to secure po litica l representation since independence. The influx o f people into these m arginal areas affects the developm ent o f existing program m es aim ed a t sustainable utilisation o f natural resources. This article show s how politicians in Zim babwe facilitate the resettlem ent o f people into the previously sparsely populated Zam bezi Valley. In addition, it show s th a t the huge influx o f people into the valley has tended to affect the developm ent o f a com m unity-based na tura l resource m anagem ent project which was starting to benefit the Tonga people

The Impact of Political Crisis on Natural Resources: A Case Study of Zimbabwe

Political crisis has been observed in Africa. States are unable to deliver on their promises of development and good governance. As a way of attempting to remain legitimate, states pursue populist agendas, which in short involves relaxing the rules and institutions which common property theorists have argued are necessary for effective natural resource management. In this article, an attempt is made to trace the impact of such populism on resources using Zimbabwe as a case study. The article suggests the facilitation of viable exploitation of natural resources by clearly defi ned communities as one solution to the sustainable use of resources

Towards Empowered Stakeholder Participation in Water Resource Management in Zimbabwe

This paper considers why stakeholder institutions mandated to manage water resources in Zimbabwe in a participatory manner, have failed to perform according to expectations. A central argument of the paper is that this failure is because of the absence of a clear development agenda, which can facilitate effective participation by the disadvantaged black population. This scenario cannot be achieved by merely changing the water legislation. The paper cautions that any new attempt to design an appropriate institutional model to enhance stakeholder participation, as happened in the Limpopo river basin in south west Zimbabwe, runs the risk of failure, unless fundamental empowerment issues are clearly appreciated and judiciously addressed

Innocent inmates: The case of children living with incarcerated mothers in Zimbabwe’s Chikurubi Prison

In Zimbabwe, as elsewhere across the world, convicted nursing mothers are often incarcerated jointly with their young children. This joint incarceration is justified on the grounds that it ensures social protection of the children who are inadvertently caught up in the incarceration process. However, whether joint incarceration of this nature really facilitates the social protection of the child is a matter that has not been adequately interrogated by researchers. This paper is based on a study on this theme, which was conducted at Zimbabwe’s Chikurubi Female Prison. At the time the research was conducted, 15 of the prison inmates were nursing their babies, and all 15 of them agreed to participate in the study. The study utilised the qualitative research design. The findings of the study revealed that the physical and social environment in the prison settings constituted a major challenge in regard to the realisation of the goal of social protection of such children. The study concluded that the deleterious effects of joint incarceration of young children with their mothers far outweighed the benefits as perceived by the state and other proponents of the policy. The paper recommends a reconceptualisation of the contemporary structure of prisons and indeed a revisit of the philosophy informing the joint incarceration of young children and their mothers.Keywords: Social protection, joint incarceration, children, mothers, prison, Zimbabwe