Time and energy costs of distance in rural life space of Zimbabwe: Case study in the Chiduku Communal Area

Abstract

Time cost of distance (TCD) and energy cost of distance (ECD) devoted to routine activities for supporting the basic human requirements of rural households have become a major source of concern because of the high proportion of the daylight TCDs and ECDs expended on such tasks in most rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The high burden of TCDs and ECDs on members of the rural household has constrained daylight time available for food production and health maintenance. This case study in a Communal Area (CA) of Zimbabwe, examines the total and comparative magnitudes of TCDs and ECDs on trips for domestic chores, social services and tertiary functions (markets, central services, transport and communication), as well as the gender and age differences in the absorption of TCDs and ECDs for these activities. The findings indicate excessive uses of the time and energy budget on walking trips to accomplish basic household necessities in which domestic chores consume by far the largest portion of this budget with the highest burden falling on the female members of the household.