Northwestern Zambia Research Articles

How do socio-economic characteristics of communities influence resource use and forest cover in the Cryptosepalum forest of North-western Zambia

Forests are important ecosystems offering extensive material and immaterial benefits to people and the environment. If not well monitored and sustainably managed, forest resource use can lead to degradation, which has global environmental and socio-economic implications. There is currently limited information on the factors that lead to forest use in the Cryptosepalum forests of Zambia, and how these factors potentially influence forest integrity. This study aimed at establishing the socio-economic aspects that determine resource utilisation and forest loss in the Cryptosepalum forest of Manyinga and Zambezi Districts of North-western Zambia. Using a semi-structured questionnaire 207 randomly selected households were interviewed in 7 villages surrounding the Cryptosepalum forest (4 in Manyinga and 3 in Zambezi district). Additionally, three focus Group Discussions were conducted to triangulate interview data. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square test of independence and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The study established 14 forest products used by local communities in the study sites. Socio-economic factors, namely; gender, level of education, household size, wealth, and residence status significantly influenced use of 9 of the 14 forest products. Further, significant relationships (p < 0.5) were established between: (1) gender and use of construction poles, wood fibre, fruits, and honey production (2) level of education and utilisation of timber, tubers, caterpillars, mushrooms, and thatching grass; (3) household size and use of construction poles, wild vegetables, tubers, caterpillars, fruits and thatching grass; (4) wealth status and use of timber, construction poles, wild vegetables, wood fibre, and fruits; and (5) residence status and use of construction poles, tubers and thatching grass. Timber harvesting, agricultural expansion, and population increase were established as key drivers of forest cover loss in the Cryptosepalum forest. The study recommends that policies and strategies aimed at conserving this forest focus on strict law enforcement (monitoring and control) of timber harvesting activities; and provision of agricultural inputs and/or community sensitisation on conservation agriculture interventions to curb shifting cultivation practices. The study adds to the body of knowledge on the importance of forests to rural livelihoods in Sub-saharan Africa, and the influence of socio-economic factors on forest cover and resource use.

A bulk sorting trial of copper ore using a magnetic resonance analyser

Sensor-based bulk ore sorting (BOS) is a technique that may lead to uplift of processing grades by excluding waste as well as an increase in usable resource by sorting material designated as mineralised waste. A magnetic resonance analyser (MRA) was installed on the primary crushed ore feed to the sulphide plant at the Kansanshi copper mine in northwestern Zambia to trial BOS. The conveyor belt operated at 2800tph and carried ore of which greater than 85% by weight of the copper-bearing minerals are chalcopyrite. The MRA was therefore tuned for chalcopyrite’s zero static field magnetic resonance. The analyser achieved a 3σ detection limit of 0.045 wt% copper as chalcopyrite over a 4 s measurement time and standard belt loading, with lower detection thresholds possible if the measurement time increased.A trial of ore diversion was then carried out at the site. Pods of ore measured as less than 0.2 wt% copper as chalcopyrite by the MRA were diverted by a dead box diverter system to form a low-grade stockpile of approximately 10,000 tonnes. A cavity in the mill feed stockpile was arranged and the rejected material fed back through the crusher, past the MRA and directly through the milling circuit to the flotation feed where a Vezin sampler was used to take a sample every 5 min. This sample was then tested for copper grade by the site metallurgical laboratory. The MRA measured a grade of 0.16 wt% copper as chalcopyrite over the test time period and the Vezin samples for the last hour of the trial reported approximately 0.2–0.3 wt% copper despite some mixing with unsorted ore being inevitable. This is as clear a demonstration of bulk ore sorting (BOS) as practically achieveable in the production environment at Kansanshi and, to the author’s knowledge, the first demonstration of BOS on a copper ore stream of at least this throughput.

A Fractured State: Local Powers and Mining Politics in Rural North-Western Zambia

This study employs an explorative case study methodology, which utilises interviews, historical analysis and observations to identify and analyse the local powers and politics that influence large-scale mining development in developing societies. It uses the Trident Mine Project in Kalumbila in rural North-Western Zambia as a case study. The Trident Project comprises an existing copper mining/processing operation at Sentinel Mine and a nickel mining development project at Enterprise Mine. It is owned by Kalumbila Minerals Ltd, a subsidiary of the Canadian-listed metal and mining company First Quantum Minerals Ltd. Situated on land previously managed under customary tenure, the Trident Project presents a useful case study to explore the tensions and contradictions that arose in this large-scale mining development. The findings reveal how several local actors influence large-scale mining and the nature and direction of the mining-induced socio-economic benefits. This implies that the state is not limited to a duality (civil and customary powers) of the type identified by Mahmood Mamdani. Instead, the paper explores several public and ‘private’ power poles that often function as a fractured state.

Petrogenesis of the Katangan mafic rocks, Zambia: Insights from lithogeochemistry, large igneous province classification, and petrological modeling

The Neoproterozoic Katangan mafic rocks are composed of gabbro and basalt sills, dykes, and flows. They are characterized as a large igneous province distributed throughout the 450 km long and 600 km wide arcuate Central African Copperbelt (CACB), and are in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and northwestern Zambia. Understanding the petrogenesis of these mafic intrusive rocks is vital to assist future studies, as examples regarding their relation to the vast Cu and Co deposits in the Central African Copperbelt or consequences of Rodinia's break up. Lithogeochemical data suggest that these rocks were formed due to an extensional regime developed during the rifting stage of the CACB, which resulted in the upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle. Consequently, petrological modeling demonstrated how these rocks derived from primitive magmas and evolved chemically through fractional crystallization, assimilation, and magma mixing, generating a range of compositions with close chemical affinity. Based on this analysis, we have subdivided them into two main groups with distinct sources each further subdivided into two subgroups. A voluminous group with ocean island basalt (OIB) affinities is widespread throughout the basin and can be modeled as the product of crustal assimilation by a picritic magma, concomitant with fractional crystallization. Magma types of this group have interacted with upper crust to develop a characteristic high Th/Ti trace element character. A less common magma represents the product of interactions between a tholeiite with enriched mid-ocean ridge (E-MORB) affinity with metasomatized subduction zone-modified lithospheric mantle (SZLM) to generate an array of moderately to extremely potassic magmas, which we classify as shoshonitic to ultrapotassic.

Are indicators useful for measuring and supporting the sustainability of forest use? A Zambian case study

Widespread dependence of rural communities on forest products is recognised, however, existing data on forest product use are limited and may not reflect current trends, as dependence patterns change over time. In the context of rapid deforestation, high levels of poverty, and associated reliance on natural resources such as forest products to support livelihoods, it is important to understand the current role of forests for supporting livelihoods so that these can be incorporated into policy and forest management efforts. Effective policies should go a step further and consider attitudes and behaviours of forest product users and attempt to understand linkages between behaviour and forest use. Being able to measure the sustainability of forest use (i.e. the impact of behaviours on the provisioning forest ecosystem) by using a composite indicator approach, is useful if we are to understand the potential impact of changes in behaviour or use patterns and if we hope to make changes that will result in more sustainable use. Here, we assess forest dependence using household interview data collected from 574 households in rural North-Western Zambia. Forest use data were recorded, which we used to inform the development of a forest use sustainability indicator, as were attitudes to forests and forest management, in an area where livelihoods depend on forest resources, with the backdrop of rapid national population growth and deforestation rates. While forest dependence among households was high (97% of households used forest products) and attitudes were generally pro-forest conservation, actual forest use (behaviour) showed signs of being unsustainable, based on the sustainability indicator used to measure forest use sustainability. By using an indicator approach to measure the sustainability of forest use at a household level, we were able to calculate projections of future sustainability based on theoretical future changes in harvesting practices. Local level quantifications of sustainability using standardised tools such as composite indicators could contribute to greater transparency in the process of analysing factors affecting sustainability and the development of appropriate, inclusive, and situation-specific policy to address the sustainability of forest use.

&lt;i&gt;Iolaus freyaallanae sp.&lt;/i&gt; nov. (Papilionoidea: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) – a new species from Zambia in the genus Iolaus Hübner, [1819], &lt;i&gt;subgenus Iolaphilus&lt;/i&gt; Stempffer &amp; Bennett, 1958

A new species, Iolaus freyaallanae sp. nov. in the subgenus Iolaphilus Stempffer &amp; Bennett, 1958 is described from forests in north-western Zambia. Its general appearance suggests, and examination of male and female genitalia confirms, a close relationship with I. gabunica Riley, 1928 and I. liberiana Sáfián, 2017. For easier navigation between them and other Iolaus species with similar facies, the I. gabunica species group is proposed.

Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in Village Chicken Farmers’ Commercialisation Intention – Evidence from North Western Zambia

Purpose: This paper contributes to the smallholder agriculture commercialisation literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour in a developing country context. The study examines the Influence of Attitude, Subjective norms and Perceived behavioural control on the Commercialisation scaling-up Intent among smallholder village chicken farmers in North-western Zambia. Furthermore, the mediating role of commercialisation practices Intention is examined. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a quantitative correlational design, primary sample data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 556 village chicken smallholder farmers from two farming blocks in North-western Zambia. The data were analysed using statistical correlation and regression models. Findings: The findings indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control as well as commercialisation practices Intention have unique positive significant effects on Commercialisation practices intention (CPI). Further, CPI in turn positively Influences Commercialisation scaling-up intention (CSI). Research limitations/implications: Notwithstanding the research limitations such as the study being cross-sectional and based on one district in Zambia, the findings have important implications. For policymakers and enterprise support institutions, understanding the socio-psychological factors of smallholder farmers are important before introducing any interventions to promote the commercialisation of the village chicken. Additionally, for scaling-up to occur, farmers need to be encouraged to adopt commercialisation practices in management, investment and marketing. This would increase the chances of transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. Originality: The study is among the first to apply the theory of planned behaviour in the village chicken value chain in the under-researched Zambian context.

Assessing the provision of Early Childhood Education in Government Primary Schools. A Case of selected schools in Kabompo District of North Western Zambia

The study assessed the provision of Early Childhood Education in selected government primary schools of Kabompo District. A case study design was used involving a sample of 70 respondents selected from three Early Childhood Education Centres in Kabompo district, with geographic locations of urban, peri-urban and rural and remote primary schools. Data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observation schedules and ECE class check-lists. Qualitative data were analysed thematically while quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate graphs, charts and frequency tables. The study observed that there were several factors affecting the provision of ECE in government primary schools most of which were attributed to identified gaps between policy on Early Childhood Education provision and practice. Some schools did not have trained teachers in ECE centres but used volunteer primary school teachers. The study also found that ECE centres did not have appropriate infrastructure designed for children below the age of six. Most schools were under resourced with respect to teaching and learning materials including materials for play. For rural and remote schools, long distances between schools and villages resulted in minimal enrolment and rampant absenteeism. On the contrary, some urban ECE centres experienced high enrolment rates resulting in overcrowding in classrooms. The study recommended inter alia that the Ministry of Education should build appropriate infrastructure for ECE and procure the requisite materials including relevant equipment for play in ECE Centres.

Examining gender differences in indigenous chicken commercialisation intent – evidence from North-Western Zambia

This paper contributes to the smallholder agriculture commercialisation literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour in an under-researched developing country context. The study examines the influence of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on the Scaling-Up intent among smallholder village chicken (free-range or indigenous) farmers in North-western Zambia. Additionally, gender differences regarding commercialisation intent are examined. Based on a quantitative correlational design utilising 556 smallholder farmers’ primary data from a structured questionnaire, statistical correlation and student’s T-test models were employed. The findings indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control have unique positive significant effects on commercialisation practices intention (CPI) and CPI in turn positively influences commercialisation scaling-up intention (CSI). Additionally, the study found significant gender differences in all aspects of the model except for subjective norms. Despite the study being cross-sectional and based on one district in Zambia, the findings have important implications. For policymakers and enterprise support institutions, understanding the socio-psychological factors of smallholder farmers is important before introducing any interventions to promote the commercialisation of the village chicken. Additionally, there is a need to encourage farmers to adopt commercialisation practices in livestock management, investment and marketing. This would increase the chances of transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. In terms of narrowing the gender gap in participation, there is a need for policymakers to tailor interventions that would help improve the attitude of women towards commercialisation and to reduce the perceived barriers. The study pioneers application of the TPB in this context.

Changes in socioeconomic determinants of health in a copper mine development area, northwestern Zambia

In 2011, an industrial copper mine was developed in northwestern Zambia. A health impact assessment was conducted to anticipate and address potential health impacts. To monitor these impacts, three community-based surveys were conducted in the area (2011, 2015 and 2019). We analysed these data to determine how household socioeconomic indicators – considered determinants of health – have changed in the area over time. In mine-impacted communities, between 2011 (pre-construction) and 2019, significant changes were observed for: (i) average household size (-0.6 members); (ii) proportion of mothers that have not completed primary school (+20.4%); (iii) ownership of economic assets (e.g. phones +29.3%; televisions +15.6%); (iv) access to safe drinking water (+27.4%); and (v) improved housing structures (e.g. finished roof +58.6%). When comparing changes between 2015 and 2019 in impacted communities to nearby comparison communities, there was (i) an increased proportion of mothers that had not completed primary school in comparison communities vs. no change in impacted communities; and (ii) increased ownership of economic assets in impacted vs. comparison communities in 2019. This study found generally positive changes in the socioeconomic development of impacted compared to comparison communities, with the most pronounced improvements in the early phases of mine development.

Conservation Agriculture and Soil Fertility Improvements: Indications from Smallholder Farmers in Chafukuma, Solwezi, Zambia

This study assessed the effects of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on soil fertility of smallholder farmers’ agricultural fields in Chafukuma, North Western Zambia. A total of 34 paired soil samples from adjacent agricultural fields in which CA and conventional agriculture (CV) had been practiced for at least five years were analysed for significant differences in plant available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), total nitrogen (N), soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil reaction (pH). Smallholder farmers’ CA practices and their perceptions of CA’s effects on soil fertility were investigated through 34 semi structured interviews. Secondary data on CA was collected through desk analysis of CA publications. The study found evidence of CA associated improvements in soil fertility (Tcalc= 4.520, p &lt; 0.0001). This improvement was attributed to the consistent use of good agronomic practices in CA fields whereas these practices were mostly absent from CV fields. The study concludes that CA improved soil fertility in agricultural fields of smallholder farmers in Chafukuma, and could be promoted in CA systems in other high rainfall areas of Zambia provided all the important agronomic practices are utilized consistently. Most of the CA associated agronomic practices could also be extended to CV fields successfully.

Sustainable electricity for sustainable health? A case study in North-western Zambia

This study explores the under-researched link between clean energy and public health outcomes, and offers new insights into the link between wider access to clean energy and progress towards health outcomes, in particular the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. This is the first study to consider the impact of a run-of-river hydropower plant (RORHP) in a remote rural community in Zambia in relation to health outcomes. Exploring this relationship establishes how the health benefits which renewable energy can bring can be capitalised upon to meet the health-related objectives of the United Nations sustainable development goals. Workshops and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders including community members, health workers, business owners, and key people involved with the plant, to establish health and social impacts of the introduction of electricity in the community of Ikelenge. Findings are used to establish both synergies and trade-offs of the RORHP on the health of the community, and recommendations are made for the continued improvement of health following the introduction of the RORHP, to achieve further progress towards meeting SDG targets.

Prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of imported and local malaria cases in North-Western Province, Zambia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundImported malaria is a major challenge for countries that are in malaria elimination stage such as Zambia. Legitimate cross-border activities add to the risk of transmission, necessitating determination of prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of imported and local malaria.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 103 consented child and adult patients with clinical malaria symptoms, from selected health facilities in north-western Zambia. Patient demographic data and blood samples for malaria microscopy and full blood count were obtained. Chi-square and penalized logistic regression were performed to describe the characteristics and assess the risk factors of imported and local malaria in North-Western Province.ResultsOverall, malaria prevalence was 78.6% with 93.8% Plasmodium falciparum and 6.2% other species. The local cases were 72 (88.9%) while the imported were 9 (11.1%) out of the 81 positive participants. About 98.6% of the local cases were P. falciparum compared to 55.6% (χ2 = 52.4; p < 0.01) P. falciparum among the imported cases. Among the imported cases, 44% were species other than P. falciparum (χ2 = 48; p < 0.01) while among the local cases only 1.4% were. Gametocytes were present in 44% of the imported malaria cases and only in 2.8% of the local cases (χ2 = 48; p < 0.01). About 48.6% of local participants had severe anaemia compared to 33.3% of participants from the two neighbouring countries who had (χ2 = 4.9; p = 0.03). In the final model, only country of residence related positively to presence of species other than P. falciparum (OR = 39.0, CI [5.9, 445.9]; p < 0.01) and presence of gametocytes (OR = 23.1, CI [4.2, 161.6]; p < 0.01).ConclusionMalaria prevalence in North-Western Province is high, with P. falciparum as the predominant species although importation of Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae is happening as well. Country of residence of patients is a major risk factor for malaria species and gametocyte presence. The need for enhanced malaria control with specific focus on border controls to detect and treat, for specific diagnosis and treatment according to species obtaining, for further research in the role of species and gametocytaemia in imported malaria, cannot be overemphasized.

PhotonLabeler: An Inter-Disciplinary Platform for Visual Interpretation and Labeling of ICESat-2 Geolocated Photon Data

NASA’s ICESat-2 space-borne photon-counting lidar mission is providing global elevation measurements that will provide significant benefits to a variety of ecosystem related research applications. Given the novelty of elevation and the derived data products from the ICESat-2 mission, the research community needs software tools that can facilitate photon-level analyses to support product validation and development new analysis methods. Here, we describe PhotonLabeler, a free graphic user interface (GUI) for manual labeling and visualization of ICESat-2 Geolocated Photon data (ATL03). Developed in MATLAB, the GUI facilitates the reading and display of ATL03 Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) files, the manual labeling of individual photons into target classes of choice using a number of point selections tools and enables eventual saving of labeled data in ASCII format. Other capabilities include saving and loading of labeling sessions to manage labeling tasks over time. We expect labeled data generated using the application to serve two main purposes. First, serve as reference data for validating various products from ICESat-2 mission, especially for study sites around the world that do not have existing reference datasets such as airborne lidar. Second, serve as training and validation data in the development of new algorithms for generating various ICESat-2 data products. We demonstrate the first use case through a validation case study for the land and vegetation product (ATL08), which provides canopy and terrain height estimates, over two sites. For the first site, located in northwestern Zambia, we used ICESat-2 ATL03 data acquired at night and for our second site in Texas, US, we used ATL03 data acquired during the day. ATL08 canopy and terrain height data showed good agreement (mean R2 &gt; 0.8) with corresponding height metrics generated from manually labeled data. A comparison between PhotonLabeler and ATL08 photon labels also showed good agreement −93.3% and 95.4% overall accuracies for the Texas and Zambia site, respectively. These results, while limited in scope, show how PhotonLabeler can facilitate photon-level analyses for ICESat-2 data products beyond the ATL08 product. The PhotonLabeler application is freely available as a compiled MATLAB binary to enable free access and utilization by interested researchers.

Community Health Impacts of the Trident Copper Mine Project in Northwestern Zambia: Results from Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys.

The application of a health impact assessment (HIA) for a large-scale copper mining project in rural Zambia triggered the long-term monitoring and evaluation of determinants of health and health outcomes in communities living in proximity to the mine. Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted at intervals of four years; thus, at baseline (2011), four (2015) and eight (2019) years into the project’s development. Using the same field and laboratory procedures, the surveys allowed for determining changes in health indicators at the household level, in young children (<5 years), school attendees (9–14 years) and women (15–49 years). Results were compared between communities considered impacted by the project and communities outside the project area (comparison communities). The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection increased in both the impacted and comparison communities between 2011 and 2019 but remained consistently lower in the impacted communities. Stunting in children < 5 years and the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in children aged 9–14 years mostly decreased. In women of reproductive age, selected health indicators (i.e., anaemia, syphilis, underweight and place of delivery) either remained stable or improved. Impacted communities generally showed better health outcomes than comparison communities, suggesting that the health interventions implemented by the project as a consequence of the HIA have mitigated potential negative effects and enhanced positive effects. Caution is indicated to avoid promotion of health inequalities within and beyond the project area.

Coexistence of multiple ethnic groups practicing different slash-and-burn cultivation systems adapted to field conditions in miombo woodlands in northwestern Zambia

Coexistence of multiple ethnic groups practicing different slash-and-burn cultivation systems adapted to field conditions in miombo woodlands in northwestern Zambia

Extractive industries and local sustainable development in Zambia: The case of corporate social responsibility of selected metal mines

This research sought in-depth understanding of extractives' corporate social responsibility [CSR] in North-Western Zambia and its impact on local sustainable development. It relied on case study approach to understand processes and outcomes of CSR investments by sampled mines. The study relied on both primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative sources of data to triangulate perspectives. The case study explored four dimensions of CSR: how decisions and prioritisation of CSR were made; level of stakeholders’ engagement and participation; appropriateness and viability of performance monitoring and accountability systems of sampled mines on CSR commitments; and outcomes [benefits and costs] to host communities from CSR; and factors underlying associated outcomes.Overall, three common themes emerged, differentiated by adopted CSR model, mine ownership, alignment to national, local development priorities and depth of stakeholders’ engagement. Firstly, dominant narrative by extractives was enthusiastic about CSR and its positive impact on sub-national development. The second viewpoint, predominantly by Local Authority, civil society and community-oriented perspective was sceptical about effects of CSR, mining and reiterated strong concerns about negative impacts. Third perspective was mainly reformist by government entities, dominant political parties and development partners, who deemed optimisation of benefits from extractives as sub-optimal.

Further information on Lolibaia Gorbunov Gurko, 2017 (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae: Synanthedonini) with description of three new species from tropical Africa.

The knowledge of the clearwing moth genus Lolibaia Gorbunov Gurko, 2017, recently described from South Sudan and until now known only from a single, damaged specimen, is extended by three new species from different parts of Africa including the as yet unknown female of the genus. L. jurateae sp. nov. is based on a single male from Kakamega Forest, Kenya; L. triangularis sp. nov. is based on six males from different localities in north-western Zambia, and L. polythyris sp. nov. is described from two females from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces, South Africa.

Cassava Cultivation by the Lunda People in Northwestern Zambia:

Cassava Cultivation by the Lunda People in Northwestern Zambia:

Adolescent fertility rates in a rural community in north-western Zambia: a retrospective study.

Adolescent fertility rate is defined as the number of births per 1000 in women aged 15-19 years. These rates are highest in sub-Saharan Africa. National data from Zambia suggest the rate has declined from 179.6 in 1960 to 87.9 in 2015. A retrospective study was performed at Chitokoloki Mission Hospital using the hospital delivery registers during January 2008 to December 2015. In this period, 945 (20.81%) births were to adolescent mothers. As morbidity is significant in this vulnerable group, strategies to reduce pregnancy rates among these young girls is much-needed.