Maligunde Dam and Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Malawi

Malawi enjoys a variety of ecological zones broadly grouped into: Lower Shire Valley; lakeshore and low lying rain shadow areas; medium altitude areas; and high altitude plateau and hilly areas. Each of these zones is characterised by unique features in terms of rainfall, temperature, altitude and agricultural operations. In this project, we focus on a small rural community of Malingunde Extension Planning Area (EPA) located to the southwest of the capital district, Lilongwe, in central Malawi. Endowed with a wide array of natural resources that include a forest reserve and an important watershed, the proximity of Malingunde to the urban city of Lilongwe amplifies the environmental problems emanating from the interactive activities of the smallholder farmers in the area and those of the urban dwellers. Over the past few decades, most sections of the catchment have undergone rapid transformation into agricultural land and human settlements. The rapidly changing dynamics of the catchment area in relation to climate change related catastrophes, all call for prompt interventions and critical understanding of struggles that the commons are facing. As such, apart from typifying the smallholder farming and environmental land use management conundrum, the chosen study area represents an interesting scenario of environmental land cover management in Malawi. In addition, this study site’s critical contribution to Malawi’s breadbasket and to cash crops farming, which demand intensive use of inorganic fertilisers, is another important factor. Consequently, the site is prone to the effects of annual soil erosion, forest degradation and intermittent dry spells which result in adverse effects of soil conditions and algal blooming in nearby water reservoirs. The deep cultural relationship that people (predominantly Chewa) in this district have with their land/soil and the nearby natural resources, also offers unique social, cultural, economic and ecological insights which would be adequately considered from a critical zone perspective.