ZAMBIA LIVELIHOOD MAP REZONING AND BASELINE PROFILING

Transcription

1 ZAMBIA LIVELIHOOD MAP REZONING AND BASELINE PROFILING Chiengi Kaputa Nchelenge Kawambwa Mwense Luwingu Mpulungu Mporokoso Mbala Mungwi Kasama Nakonde Isoka VAC ZAMBIA Vulnerability Assessment Committee Chilubi Chinsali Mansa Samfya Chama Milenge Mwinilunga Mpika Solwezi Chililabombwe Chingola Lundazi Kitwe Lufwanyama Ndola Chavuma Kabompo Masaiti Serenje Mambwe Zambezi Mpongwe Mufumbwe Kasempa Kapiri Mposhi Mkushi Petauke Katete Chadiza Lukulu Kabwe Nyimba Kalabo Mongu Kaoma Senanga Shang'ombo Sesheke Mumbwa Chibombo Lusaka Chongwe Luangwa Kafue Itezhi-tezhi Namwala Mazabuka Monze Siavonga Gwembe Choma Kazungula Kalomo Sinazongwe Livingstone Final Report by the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee October 2004 Lusaka Zambia

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents... ii Acknowledgments... iii Introduction...1 Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Livelihood Zone...10 Gwembe Valley Livelihood Zone...15 Zambezi West Bank Livelihood Zone...21 Sioma Plains Livelihood Zone...27 Current Year Analysis...32

3 Acknowledgments The Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) wishes to thanks the funding agencies of the above exercise, namely the Regional VAC, FEWSNET / USAID (TO 805) and UNICEF. In addition, the VAC also wishes to acknowledge the participation of the following institutions: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, Central Statistical Office Meteorological Department), World Food Program (WFP) Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator / Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Zambian Red Cross Society, CARE International World Vision Zambia, (WVZ) Program Against Malnutrition (PAM) Natural Resources Development College (NRDC) NRDC, and ACF), USAID / Famine Early Warning System (FEWS NET) University of Zambia (UNZA) Provincial Agriculture Officers and Provincial Planners from all nine provinces of Zambia. Lastly but not the least, the VAC wishes to thank all households and key informants that participated in this survey. Without their cooperation, the assessment would not have been possible. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September 2004 iii

4 Zambia Livelihood Profiles Introduction October 2004 Background Following two consecutive years of drought in the and cropping seasons, the National Vulnerability Assessment Committee (a consortium of government, NGO and UN agencies) decided to conduct a series of food security assessments in August and December 2002 and in April This was part of a regional initiative coordinated by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Vulnerability Assessment Committee. The purpose of these assessments was to assess food and non-food needs, and inform decision makers on food aid distribution priorities within the country and to guide and inform ongoing food security monitoring. The first two assessments focused on the cereal deficit within the country. In the third assessment, in April 2003, the Zambia VAC used, for the first time, a livelihoods-based analysis to derive food security information. The Food Economy Approach was utilised and examined livelihoods within zones, and within and across wealth groups. Following that exercise, the Zambia VAC decided that there was need to develop a new livelihood zone map for Zambia based on the experiences of the past VAC assessments and on earlier maps. The current exercise aimed to produce a livelihood zone map of Zambia that was agreed by key partners, together with detailed profiles for four livelihood zones. 1 To this end, a mapping exercise was conducted in late June 2004 involving provincial representatives from nine provinces and key VAC members and partners from Lusaka. Livelihood zones were defined on a map, which is reproduced in full on page 5, and each zone was briefly described. Following that, 22 VAC members were trained in the theory and practice of conducting food economy baseline assessments. Four livelihood zones were selected for assessment in Phase 1: the Gwembe Valley (in Southern Province), Chongwe- Nyimba Plateau (in Eastern Province), Sioma Plains (Western Province), and Zambezi West Bank (Northwest Province). The choice of zones to visit in this first phase of fieldwork was made according to the areas of the country historically most affected by food insecurity. The teams went to the field for days in July 2004 to collect information on wealth groups, sources of food and income, patterns of expenditure, bad year coping strategies, and seasonal calendars for each livelihood zone. Most of the field data was collected from district and community-level key informants and household-level focus groups. The results of that fieldwork are presented in the four livelihood zone profiles that follow this introduction. It is anticipated that Phase 2 will cover the remaining livelihood zones in the country at some point in the near future. Introduction The livelihood profiles that follow document how rural populations in four areas of Zambia live. A livelihood is the sum of ways in which households make ends meet from year to year, and how they survive (or fail to survive) through difficult times. There is increasing interest in using livelihoods analysis as the lens through which to view a number of problems. These problems range from emergency response to disaster mitigation to longer-term development. This interest rests upon two basic observations: 1) Information about a given area or community can only be properly interpreted if it is put into context with how people live. 2) Interventions can only be designed in ways appropriate to local circumstances if the planner knows about local livelihoods and whether or not a proposed intervention will build upon or undermine existing strategies. Two main products are offered here: National Livelihood Zone Map Livelihood Zone Profiles The map shows the division of the country into homogeneous zones defined according to a livelihoods framework. The four profiles describe the major characteristics of each zone, including a brief differentiation of the food security status of different wealth groups. There is some emphasis on hazards and the relative capacity of different types of households in different places to withstand them. 1 This exercise was funded by the Regional Vulnerability Assessment Committee (RVAC), which funded the participation of VAC members, and FEWS NET, which funded the three external consultants. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

5 Uses of the Profiles The livelihood zoning and profiles presented here offer an analysis of food security on a geographical basis. The country is divided into homogeneous zones defined according to a livelihoods framework. A brief description of four zones is provided, including an analysis of the position of different wealth groups within the zone. It is envisaged that this product will be useful on three levels, as follows. 1. An Introductory Guide to Food Security in the Country The profiles pack considerable information and analysis into a few pages of presentation. They should therefore form a useful briefing for a newcomer who needs to get a quick grasp of food security conditions in the four zones. Development planners can also benefit from using the livelihood profiles. One objective of development is to reduce people s vulnerability to hazard and to increase their capacity to cope. An important first step is to understand who is vulnerable, to which hazards, and why. Likewise, efforts to reduce poverty require an understanding of how the poorest households survive in different areas of the country and the reasons for their poverty. 2. Early Warning and Food Security Monitoring Most early warning and food security monitoring systems draw heavily from two information sources: (i) crop and/or livestock production data, and (ii) market price information. Given the predominance of production data, local food security is often equated with production outcomes. Hence, a chronic or temporary production deficit against local food requirement is immediately translated into chronic or temporary food insecurity. This is almost never the whole story. A full account of the food economy addresses both food supply that is, what food people produce and food demand what cash people earn to purchase food. Thus, data on casual employment or wild foods, or charity from relatives or the sale of handicrafts is equally important to the livelihood story as data on crop and livestock production. Using a baseline livelihood profile, we can inquire into household capacity to adapt to economic stress, especially failed crop or livestock production; and we can appreciate household activities at different periods in the yearly cycle. All of this feeds directly into our analysis of need, helping to answer key questions such as: which areas and what types of household are likely to cope should a hazard strike and which will need assistance? What types of intervention will be most appropriate, and when and for how long should they be implemented? National officers working within their national early warning system have an immense knowledge of their countries. The livelihoods approach helps to provide a framework for the full use of that knowledge, as well as adding a new level of information to it. 3. Policy Development Disaster management has been the main impetus to the spread of early warning systems. The rationale in early warning is to improve the efficiency in the scale and timing of emergency food aid. However, increasingly planners are looking at alternatives to food aid in early emergency intervention and this often requires changes in policy and practice. A case in point is the stabilization of market prices for basic foods. Livelihoods analysis can expose the likely effects of such interventions on different households capacity to survive a crisis. The analysis can also recommend the optimum timing for intervention. Livelihood analysis can also be applied to other policy changes. For example, if government taxes on kerosene were reduced, or charges made for government veterinary drugs, what would be the impact on households? More generally, the household viewpoint offers a more secure footing for looking at the increasingly voluminous discussion of poverty alleviation. It allows one to look at the story that lies behind national statistics. The Food Economy Approach There is one basic principle underlying the food economy approach. This principle states that: an analysis of local livelihoods is essential for a proper understanding of the impact at household level of hazards such as drought or conflict or market dislocation. Total crop failure may, for example, leave one group of households destitute because the failed crop is their only source of staple food. Another group, by contrast, may be able to cope because they have alternative food and income sources. These alternative sources such as livestock to sell or relatives elsewhere who can assist--can make up the production shortfall. Thus, effective hazard impact assessments must be based on livelihood analysis, and livelihood analysis itself involves several steps (see table below). The Livelihood Zone Map: Patterns of livelihood clearly vary from one area to another. Local factors such as climate, soil, and access to markets all influence livelihood patterns. The first step in a food economy analysis is therefore to prepare a livelihood zone map. This map delineates geographical areas within which people share basically the same patterns of access to food (i.e. they grow the same crops, keep the same types of livestock, etc) and have the same access to markets. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

6 The Wealth Breakdown: Where a household lives is one factor determining its options for obtaining food and generating income. Another factor is wealth, since this is the major factor determining the ability of a household to exploit the available options within a given zone. It is obvious, for example, that better-off households owning larger farms will in general produce more crops and be more food secure than their poorer neighbours. Land is just one aspect of wealth, however, and wealth groups are typically defined in terms of their land holdings, livestock holdings, capital, education, skills, labour availability and/or social capital. Defining the different wealth groups in each zone is the second step in a food economy analysis, the output from which is a wealth breakdown. The Food Economy Baseline: Having grouped households according to where they live and their wealth, the next step is to generate food economy baseline information for typical households in each wealth group for a defined reference or baseline year. Food access is determined by investigating the sum of ways households obtain food what food they grow, gather or receive as gifts, how much food they buy, how much cash income is earned in a year, and what other essential needs must be met with income earned. Household Coping (or Response) Strategies: Once this baseline is established, an analysis can be made of the likely impact of a shock or hazard in a bad year. This is done by assessing how food access will be affected by the shock, what other food and income sources can be added or expanded to make up initial shortages, and what final deficits emerge. Outcome Analysis: The objective is to investigate the effects of a hazard on future access to food and income, so that decisions can be taken about the most appropriate types of intervention to implement. The rationale behind the approach is that a good understanding of how people have survived in the past provides a sound basis for projecting into the future. Three types of information are combined; (i) information on baseline access, (ii) information on hazard (i.e. factors affecting access to food/income, such as crop production or market prices) and (iii) information on response strategies (i.e. the sources of food and income that people turn to when exposed to a hazard). The approach can be summarised as follows: Baseline + Hazard + Response = Outcome The idea is that once the baselines have been compiled they can be used repeatedly over a number of years until significant changes in the underlying economy render them invalid. A good food economy baseline will generally be valid for between 3 and 10 years. What varies is the prevailing level of food security, but this is a function of variations in hazard, not variations in the baseline. Put another way, the level of maize production may vary from year to year (hazard), but the underlying pattern of agricultural production does not (the baseline). Outcome Analysis: Baseline + Hazard + Response = Outcome The baseline picture provides a The first step is to superimpose the The second step is to consider the starting point or context for hazard on the baseline to assess its response strategies that can be understanding the likely impact of a effects on food access at household pursued by households exposed to a shock or hazard on food access at level. hazard, and the amount of food household level. This requires that the hazard be and/or income that can be generated If, for example, poor households expressed in quantitative terms, e.g. from these. are heavily dependent upon crop a 50% reduction in crop production, In the example, the poor keep production, then they may be a 20% reduction in milk output, etc. from 3-5 goats, and in a crisis can vulnerable to hazards affecting In the example below, a 50% exchange 2 of these for 1-2 sacks of crops, such as drought or pest reduction in crop production results grain enough to cover roughly attack. Households that rely upon in a 25% deficit in food access for 10% of annual food needs. This has other sources of food and income the poor, since crops provide half the effect of reducing the deficit are, on the other hand, less of baseline food needs for this from 25% to roughly 15%. vulnerable to these hazards. group. Baseline + Hazard e.g. 50% crop failure + Response e.g. sale of 2 goats milk/meat milk/meat crops milk/meat crops labour crops labour labour l/stock sale gifts gifts deficit gifts deficit Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

7 The outcome represents the final result, expressed in terms of the food intake deficit likely to result from a particular hazard, once household-level responses have been taken into account. = Outcome In the example, the conclusion is that a 50% crop failure is likely to result in a food intake deficit of 15% for poor households. Similar analyses undertaken for other types of household (e.g. the middle and the better-off ) will indicate their vulnerability to this particular hazard. The National Livelihood Zone Map A livelihood zone is an area within which people share broadly the same patterns of access to food (i.e. they grow the same crops, keep the same types of livestock, etc). They also share broadly the same access to markets. Livelihood zone boundaries do not always follow administrative boundaries. Instead, a river or mountain range may be the boundary for a livelihood zone. In this way, one administrative zone may contain different livelihood zones, such as agro-pastoralists alongside fishing communities. Conversely, one livelihood zone may cover several administrative zones. Yet, it is important that livelihood zone boundaries should wherever possible follow lower-level administrative boundaries. The main reason is because resources are allocated on the basis of administrative units not livelihood zones. A national livelihood zone map for Zambia is presented on the following page. This map should be regarded as a work in progress because additional fieldwork in Phase 2 may lead to small changes to the boundaries of some of the zones. A table on the last page of this section lists the approximate rural population for each zone. What is in a Livelihood Profile The profiles are divided into a number of sections: Zone Description offers a general description of local livelihood patterns. Markets contain basic information on the marketing of local production and on any importation of food into the zone. Seasonal Calendar sets out the timing of key activities during the year. This is useful in a variety of ways, such as to judge the likely impact of a hazard according to its timing during the year, or to assess whether a particular activity is being undertaken at the normal time in the current year. The Wealth Breakdown section describes three or four main wealth groups ( poor, middle and better-off ), explaining the differences between these groups and how this affects potential access to food and cash income 2. The Sources of Food and Sources of Cash sections examine patterns of food and income access at each level of wealth, relating these to the characteristics of each group. The Expenditure Patterns section outlines the ways in which households in each wealth group spend their cash income. The sections on Hazards provide information on the different types of hazard that affect the zone, differentiated by wealth group where this is appropriate. Response Strategies describe the various strategies available to different types of household in the zone, together with a judgement of the likely effectiveness of the strategies 3. Early warning involves identifying and interpreting key events that indicate that a severe food shortage or famine may be developing. The section on Indicators of Imminent Crisis provides information on the key indicators and their likely timing by zone, based upon an understanding of local livelihoods and local patterns of response to food shortage. Lastly, a Scenario section highlights the likely impact of a bad year (e.g. drought) on poor households within the livelihood zone, incorporating both hazard and response strategies. 2 It is important to bear in mind for this analysis that we are thinking of wealth in relative (and local) terms. Statistical data may indicate that 80% or even 90% of the population in a particular area lives below the national poverty line, but this is measuring poverty on a national, absolute scale. In a livelihoods analysis we are interested in understanding some of the differences within the community and the reasons for these in which case it is not particularly useful to lump 80-90% of the population into one group. 3 The term response strategy is preferred to coping strategy for two reasons. Firstly, the term coping strategy is often used to refer to regular components of everyday livelihood (e.g. firewood sale), which strictly speaking are only coping strategies when intensified in response to a hazard. Secondly, coping can be taken to imply that the strategy in question is cost-free, which is not always true. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

8 Zambia Livelihood Zone Map Food Economy Zones (FEZ) Central Maize-Cotton Zone Chama-Lundazi Rice Zone Chiawa-Zambezi Lowlands Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Copperbelt Mining Zone Eastern Province Cash Crop Zone Gwembe Valley Kaputa Rice Zone Kazungula-Mwandi Plain Lake Kariba Fishing Zone Line of rail Commercial Zone Luangwa-Mfuwe Valley Luano Valley Luapula Valley Luapula-Northern W etlands Mambwe-Petauke Valley Mkushi Commercial Block Muchinga Escarpment Mufumbwe-Kasempa Zone Mulobezi W oodlands Northern Province Plateau Northwest High Rainfall Zone Sioma Plain Tuta-Luapula Corridor Zambezi East Zambezi Floodplain Zambezi W est Bank District Boundaries Data Sources; Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZVAC) Map Design and Desktop Mapping by ZVAC. Production Date: July 2004 Chav uma Kalabo Zambezi Lukulu Mongu Senanga Kabompo Mwinilunga Mufumbwe Kaoma Solwezi Kasempa Chililabombwe Chingola Kitwe Lufwanyama Ndola Mpongwe Kapiri Mposhi Nchelenge Kabwe Chiengi Kaputa Kawambwa Mwense Masaiti Mansa Milenge Luwingu Samfya Mkushi Mumbwa Chibombo Lusaka Chongwe Luangwa Kafue Itezhi-tezhi Namwala Mazabuka Monze Siavonga Mpulungu Mporokoso Chilubi Serenje Mungwi Kasama Mpika Mbala Chinsali Mambwe Nakonde Isoka Chama Lundazi Petauke Katete Chadiza Nyimba Shang'ombo Sesheke Kazungula Gwembe Choma Kalomo Sinazongwe Livingstone N W E Kilometers S Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

9 POPULATION BY LIVELIHOOD ZONE Zone Code Zone name Population 4A Central Maize-Cotton 255,000 4B Chama-Lundazi Rice 317,000 12A Chiawa-Zambezi Lowlands 106,000 7B Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau 90,000 2A Copperbelt Mining 1,665,000 5B Eastern Province Cash Crop 807,000 11A Gwembe Valley 278,000 16B Kaputa Rice 30,000 7A Kazungula-Mwandi Plains 197,000 11B Lake Kariba Fishing 13,000 5A Line of Rail Commercial Farming 2,403,000 15C Luangwa-Mfuwe Valley 90,000 7C Luano Valley 187,000 15B Luapula Valley 247,000 16A Luapula Northern Wetlands 163,000 12B Mambwe-Petauke Valley 118, Mkushi Commercial Block 69,000 3B Muchinga Escarpment 63,000 3A Mufumbwe Kasempa 295,000 9 Mulobezi Woodlands 18,000 2B Northern Province Plateau 979,000 1A Northwest High Rainfall 201,000 6 Sioma Plain 374,000 1B Tuta-Luapula Corridor 596,000 10B Zambezi East 99, Zambezi Floodplain 70,000 10A Zambezi West Bank 262,000 Total Population 9,990,000 Description of livelihood Zones Sioma Plain (Zone 6): This zone is a cropping (maize and cassava) and cattle rearing zone. Incomes for most households come from limited crop and livestock sales and to some extent timber sales. Cattle also provide manure, draught power and milk. Market channels are moderate to difficult mainly because of poor infrastructure. Cattle are mainly sold through local butcheries and main abattoirs by farmers and traders. Maize and cassava is purchased from the local market. Zambezi Floodplain (Zone 14): This is a low-lying wetland that floods yearly. The floods are excessive with a frequency of one in ten years, destroying crops and infrastructure. Households grow maize, rice and sorghum and keep cattle and pigs. Pigs are kept mainly for sale. The area is dissected by the Zambezi River, offering opportunities for fishing and water transport. There is the potential to produce two crops of maize per year in this livelihood zone. Mkushi Commercial Block (Zone 13): This livelihood zone has fertile land and receives rainfall of mm per year, which makes it a high potential area for both crop and livestock production. It is predominantly a commercial farming area, with large-scale farming conducted by both local farmers and settlers from outside the country (especially South Africans and Zimbabweans). The major crops grown are maize, wheat and tobacco, while the main livestock raised are cattle. This zone is also a major source of tomatoes, bananas and potatoes, which are sold in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces. The local people around this commercial farming area provide the main source of labour. Despite the long distance to the major markets in Lusaka, Copperbelt and DRC, the infrastructure is quite good. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

10 Northwest High Rainfall (Zone 1A): This livelihood zone is characterised by high rainfall and is covered with dense rain forests. Forest products are important sources of food and income, particularly game, timber and honey. The area was once the leading producer of pineapples in the country, but production has declined since the closure of the processing plant in the late 1990s. The zone is mostly rural and is sparsely populated. Copperbelt Mining (2A): This zone is highly urbanised, with wage employment (in mining, manufacturing, banking, etc) and trading representing the main livelihood options for most people. Staple food production is minimal. Copper mining is the main economic activity in the zone, although due to the recent sale of mines, a number of people have been retrenched and have migrated to other zones however new buyers of the mines are increasing operations in the southern and eastern parts of the zone. Already a major copper mine, Kansenshi, has started operating in the eastern part (around Solwezi district) while there are scaled up activities with gemstone mining in the area around Mkushi district. Apart from mining other common livelihood activities are charcoal burning and game, the zone has relatively good infrastructure. Mufumbwe-Kasempa Zone (3A): This zone is self-sufficient in food production and is sparsely populated. It has a good road network and rail system, except for Lufwanyama, Mufumbwe and Kesempa districts in the western part. It is also a major forest reserve and is crossed by two national parks. Timber, honey and game are the major sources of livelihood. In the eastern part of the zone, there has been increased demand for land for agricultural purposes from retrenched, retired and unemployed people. There are moderate numbers of commercial farms in the zone, mostly growing maize, coffee and soya beans. Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Zone 7B): Compared to many other parts of the country, the Chongwe- Nyimba Plateau has good access to markets and is highly productive in terms of crops and livestock. This livelihood zone is serviced by an all weather road, the Great East Road, which leads to Chipata, the provincial capital. Normal rainfall is about 800 mm per year. The Plateau is a smallholder farming zone, with maize produced as the staple crop, sweet potatoes and pumpkins as supplements, and groundnuts as a component of both relish and snacks. Contract farming of cotton has become the most important cash crop followed by localized production of cassava. Goats are the main livestock reared, though cattle and pigs are also kept. In a year of average production, farmers in the Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau produce a surplus of maize. However, due to the poor feeder road infrastructure, households have difficulties accessing the main markets to sell their crops and livestock at economic prices. The proximity of the zone to the Mozambique border offers a variety of opportunities and threats to livelihood patterns. Cross border trade and labour exchange are major sources of food and income. However, the uncontrolled trade also poses a risk in terms of the introduction of crop pests and livestock diseases. There are limited activities in timber, curios and fishing trade in the zone. Central Maize-Cotton Zone (Zone 4A): This is mostly Mumbwa District. Maize and cotton growing is widespread. Game meat is very common. This area is not prone to drought as rainfall is normally adequate and has moderate access to the market. Chama-Lundazi Rice Zone (Zone 4B): This zone mostly covers Chama and Lundazi Districts, and includes a small area in Mambwe District. Small-scale farming is prominent in most of the zone. Illegal hunting (poaching) is being done. Petty trade and rice production is prevalent in all areas. Tourism in the zone is very active with good (efficient) air travel and several lodges which provide jobs to locals too. The area is prone to droughts and floods. Casual labour is widely used as a coping strategy. Chiawa-Zambezi Lowlands (Zone 12A): This livelihood zone receives less than 700 mm annual rainfall and is prone to a number of periodic hazards, including drought, flood and damage of crops by wild animals. Traditionally, the farming system is sorghum-based and households generally do not produce enough food to sustain themselves throughout the year. Other crops grown include cassava, maize and bananas. Goats and pigs are the main livestock kept. Sources of cash income include fishing, trading and crafts. Zambezi West Bank (Zone 10A): The zone is sparsely populated, with a poor road network. It is connected to the country by a pontoon on the Zambezi River and in times of high rainfall it is inaccessible. There is limited electricity supply and telephone facilities in the area.. The main crops are cassava, maize and sweet potatoes. The main types of livestock kept by households are cattle, goats and poultry. Unskilled casual labour and petty trade are the main income sources for poor households. The zone has less developed infrastructure in terms of schools, agricultural, medical facilities, etc. Moderate trade takes place with Angola in small livestock and fishing is common. Households in this zone barter fish for maize with adjacent zones. The major crop is cassava Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

11 Zambezi East (Zone 10B): The zone is sparsely populated, with a poor road network, and is dependent on thermal power for electricity. The main crops are cassava, maize, and sweet potatoes. The main types of livestock kept by households are goats, cattle and poultry. Unskilled casual labour and petty trade are the main income sources for poor households. The zone has well developed social and economic infrastructure. The zone is also the major source of maize consumed or traded in Zambezi West Bank (Zone 10A). Line-of-Rail Commercial (Zone 5A): The main characteristics in this zone are the growth of rainfed and irrigated crops. The soils are good and a lot of different crops are grown. Access to agro inputs is good because of the proximity to towns. Access to markets is fairly good. In the south west part of the zone where road infrastructure and the general terrain is poor (Kafue River flat plains), fishing and game form the major sources of food and income. However the north-eastern parts of the zone is characterised by commercial production of maize, cotton, tobacco, sugarcane and grain legumes. The area has good infrastructure, thereby promoting trade. The population is large and livestock diseases are common harzards. Lately the area has been prone to drought. Deforestation is prominent due to charcoal sales and curing of tobacco. Eastern Province Cash Crop (Zone 5B): Rainfall is high and the soils are fertile in this livelihood zone, which is favourable for crop production (Cotton, Tobacco, Maize and Groundnuts). Except around the main towns (especially Chipata), the area is sparsely populated. Growth of food and cash crops (cotton, tobacco and groundnuts) is another characteristic. The main sources of income are sale of crops, trading and wages. Tuta-Luapula Corridor (Zone 1B): This livelihood zone receives rainfall of over 1200 mm per year and lies at a low altitude. Since it lies on the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is a high level of cross-border trade. The zone is densely populated and the economy is based on fishing and cassava production. The infrastructure to markets is average. Northern Province Plateau (Zone 2B): This livelihood zone covers a large part of Luapula and Northern Provinces. It is sparsely populated and the soils are relatively fertile. Rainfall is well above 1200 mm per year. Livelihoods are based on subsistence cultivation, limited livestock keeping and trading in agricultural products. The infrastructure is poor in terms of road network. The main chronic problems are crop pests and livestock disease. The major sources of income are cross border trade with Tanzania, charcoal sales and wages. Kaputa Rice (Zone 16B): This livelihood zone is at very low altitude and is dominated by wetlands and highlands. There is a lot of fishing and rice production. The zone has a low population density with major settlements for refugees that cross from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).The proximity of the DRC has provided opportunities for cross-border trade in fish and maize meal which is sold or battered for second-hand clothes and other petty commodities. Luapula-Northern Wetlands (Zone 16A): This livelihood zone is at very low altitude and is dominated by wetlands and islands. There is a lot of fishing and rice production and is characterised by a low population density. Luano Valley (Zone 7C): This zone covers the southern parts of Mkushi and Chibombo Districts. Small-scale farmers occupy this area. The main crops grown are maize, tobacco, cotton, cassava, and vegetables. The main livestock kept include cattle, goats, poultry and pigs. The infrastructure in the zone is relatively good in some areas, providing access to markets on the Great North Road, including Kabwe and Lusaka. However, in areas near the Luano valley, roads are impassable and households there are constantly in need of food aid which is usually air lifted. Crop pests and livestock diseases are the main hazards experienced in the area. Mulobezi Woodlands (Zone 9): The zone receives little rainfall with plenty of Kalahari sands which are generally infertile soils. It is sparsely populated, with the population concentrated around the few fertile areas. Livelihood patterns are largely subsistence oriented. The zone has a weak road network and market access is poor. The zone has plenty of forests which are major sources of timber. Timber is sold to major towns within Zambia. In the 1990s, the business in timber lead to establishment of some saw mills and a rail line, which provided major sources of income. The saw mills and railway lines are currently undergoing privatization and activities have temporarily slowed down. The major subsistence crop grown is maize, while the major livestock are cattle and goats. Kazungula-Mwandi Plain (Zone 7A): This livelihood zone has a generally semi-arid climate, with periodic drought and flooding (especially in the valleys). The main economic activities include crop and livestock production, formal employment, trading, curios (related to tourism), fishing and sale of wild fruits. With the mushrooming of lodges/hotels along the Zambezi River shores, employment opportunities for local people and even for people from outside the zone has increased. Prostitution is common in high-risk areas such as Livingstone, Sesheke and other border areas and is a means of earning an income. The road infrastructure of late has improved with the completion of Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

12 an all-weather road from Livingstone to Sesheke. A modern bridge across the Zambezi River connecting Zambia (Sesheke) and Namibia has also been completed and is likely to influence the livelihoods of most communities in terms of cross border trading, labour based migration, and prostitution. Gwembe Valley (Zone 11A): This livelihood zone is populated by Tonga people who were displaced from the area that is now covered by Lake Kariba when the Kariba Dam was built in the 1960s. Due to its relatively low altitude, the climate is mostly hot and dry, with average rainfall of about mm per year. The livelihood pattern in this zone is one of small-scale subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing. The main food crops cultivated are sorghum, millet and maize. These are grown for household consumption with only a little local trade within the zone and no exports outside the zone. Cotton is the main cash crop and vegetable cultivation is an income source for some households during the dry season. The main livestock kept are cattle, goats and chickens and these are important income sources at household level. Cattle are also essential for ploughing. The Gwembe Valley is prone to weather extremes where both droughts and floods are regular problems. Lake Kariba Fishing (Zone 11B): This is a small livelihood zone that borders Lake Kariba in Southern Province. The population lives in small fishing camps and includes migrants from other provinces. Fishing on the lake is the dominant economic activity, but very small-scale crop production and livestock keeping is also practiced. The zone has a large concentration of commercial fishing companies such as crocodile farms and kapenta (small fish) trade. This activity is a major source of income for some households. The zone is also a major tourist destination and has several lodges along the lakeshores. The lodges provide regular employment to some households within the zone. Muchinga Escarpment (Zone 3B) This zone is moderately populated, the soils are relatively fertile and production of maize is a common livelihood. The zone has the potential to grow into a major commercial agricultural producing area as more area is being opened up in the form of farming blocks. The zone is close to the Great North Road and Tazara Railway line, which links Tanzania and Zambia. As such, significant petty trading in assorted merchandize takes place along the main road and railway. Mambwe-Petauke valley (Zone 12B) The livelihood of this zone is mainly maize production at subsistence level. Cotton production is done through contract farming and game is another major source of food and income in the zone. Luangwa-Mfuwe Valley (Zone 15C) The zone lies in the valley and experiences very high temperatures and periodic droughts, which has affected its agricultural activities. As a result of poor climatic conditions, most cropping activities are limited to the riverbank, which exposes them to the risk of flooding. The zone is mainly in the game management area and therefore crops including livestocks are frequently attacked by wild animals. The major source of livelihood is fishing, game and employment at numerous tourist game resorts and lodges Luapula Valley (Zone 15B) This zone is predominantly a cassava growing area. The major sources of income for most households is cross border trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo, fish trading is another important source of food and income because of relatively good road infrastructure, there is significant trade, in fish and cassava, with other zones. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

13 Zambia Livelihood Profile Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Livelihood Zone October Zone Description The Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Livelihood Zone lies in the %[ Towns eastern part of Zambia, covering Roads parts of Eastern and Lusaka Food Economy Zones Provinces in Nyimba, Chongwe Petauke and Luangwa Districts. The population of the zone is approximately 90,000. The team visited ten villages in Nyimba and Chongwe Districts as part of P etauke Mafumba this assessment. %[ %[%[ Compared to many other parts of Nyimba the country, the Chongwe- %[ Nyimba Plateau has good access to markets and is highly Nyimba productive in terms of crops and %[%[ livestock. The zone is serviced by an all weather road, the Great Simengoa East Road, which leads to Production Date: July 2004 Tomo Chipata, the provincial capital. Normal rainfall is about 800 mm per year. Chama-Lundazi Rice Zone Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau Eastern Province Cash Crop Zone Mambwe-Petauke Valley Mkushi Commercial Block Data Sources; Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZVAC) Map Design and Desktop Mapping by ZVAC. The Plateau is a smallholder farming livelihood zone with maize produced as the staple crop, sweet potatoes and pumpkins as supplements, and groundnuts as a component of both relish and snacks. Contract cotton has become the most important cash crop followed by localized production of cassava. Cowpeas, beans and sunflower are also grown in relatively small quantities, primarily for consumption. Goats are the main livestock reared, though cattle and pigs are also kept. In a year of average production, farmers in the Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau produce a surplus of maize. However, due to the poor feeder road infrastructure, households have difficulties accessing the main markets to sell their crops and livestock at economic prices. The proximity of the zone to the Mozambique border offers a variety of opportunities and threats to livelihood patterns. Cross border trade and labour exchange are major sources of food and income. However, the uncontrolled trade also poses a risk in terms of the introduction of crop pests and livestock diseases. Markets The Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau lies east of Lusaka and stretches towards the Mozambique border. The food crops that can be sold go to Lusaka, while most of the cotton is sent to Petauke and Chipata, where the main ginneries are located. The major access road, the Great East Road, is in a fair condition but the rural roads that feed into it are generally in a poor state and greatly contribute to high marketing costs. The zone s proximity to the main road and the Mozambique border provides opportunities for cross border trade. For the population living across the border in Mozambique, the Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau is the main market, where a lot of informal trade takes place, mostly through barter. This informal trade with Mozambique greatly influences market behaviour and cross border migration. The soils in Mozambique, which remained unused during the civil wars of the 1980s, are now being utilized and are highly productive. This affects the supply and demand for some commodities. In bad years, maize and livestock is supplied from Mozambique and this favourably influences market prices. 4 Fieldwork for the current profile was undertaken in July The information presented refers to the consumption year from March 2003 to February 2004, which was a relatively normal year by local standards (i.e. a year that was neither especially good nor especially bad in terms of food security, when judged in the context of recent years). Provided there are no fundamental and rapid shifts in the economy, the information in this profile is expected to remain valid for approximately five years (i.e. until 2009). Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

14 Seasonal Calendar The peak time for land preparation for most crops is between September and November, except for sunflower, for which land is prepared in January. Planting is usually between November and December, though this is largely dependant on the onset of rains. Green consumption of most crops usually begins in late February up until early April. Farm labour opportunities generally start with land preparation in September and peak during the months of December and January when the weeding requirement is highest. Other labour peaks occur Crop production Other income Land preparation Planting Weeding Green harvest Maize harvest Groundnut harvest Cotton harvest Sunflower harvest Agric / casual labour Labour migration Wild food peak Livestocksales Charcoal peak Hunger season peak Rainfall Pattern Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug at harvest time between May and July. Cotton in particular is very labour intensive, with weeding taking place over three consecutive months beginning in December. Market prices peak during the lean periods of January and February, when household maize stocks are at their lowest. In an average year, after the lean period, household food stocks increase and the price of the staple food falls. Generally livestock sales occur only when the household is desperate for cash to meet costs of school fees, medical bills, funerals, and the like. In the diagram above, livestock sales coincide with the peak of the hunger season. Poaching peaks between the months of December and May when the Game Management Areas are closed to legal safari hunters. Wild food collection starts just before and during the start of the rainy season as a routine activity. Wealth Breakdown H H size (per wife) W e a l t h G r oup I n f o r m a t i o n Live sto ck La nd cu ltiva ted Other V e ry po or 3-4 N on e lim a P oo r 9-10 M id dle 9-10 B e tte r-o ff % 20% 40% % of population 0-4 goats, 0-5 pigs, 0-5 ch icke n s 0-9 ca ttle, 5-15 goats, 6-7 pigs, 5-10 chickens cattle, g oats, 8 + pigs, 10 + chick ens lim a 3-4 lim a Brewing equipm e nt Brewing eq uip m en t; p lou ghs lim a P lo ughs The main determinant of wealth in this livelihood zone is cattle ownership, which in turn determines the number of plough oxen that a household owns and the area of land that they are able to cultivate. The number of other types of livestock owned and the agricultural inputs that a household can afford are also related to this. Key informants described four wealth groups in this livelihood zone. The very poor group includes households that are headed by elderly, handicapped, terminally ill or widowed members, often supporting small numbers of grandchildren or young dependents, some of whom may be AIDS orphans. The household heads in this group generally have little capacity to support dependents, which explains the small average household size for this group of only about 3-4 members. Although the very poor make up about 10-20% of households, the small household size compared to other wealth groups means that they are only about 5-10% of the population. Households in this group usually do not own livestock and are highly dependent on gifts and handouts from other households in the community. They cultivate only very small areas of land, if any. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September

15 The poor comprise approximately half of all households, have few or no productive assets, and labour for food and cash to make ends meet. Due to limited ownership of productive assets or livestock, the poor live a mostly hand-tomouth existence. They rarely have improved inputs for planting unless they are targeted by NGOs. Most of their time is spent working as labourers on the farms of the better off, which limits the amount of land they are able to cultivate for themselves to roughly limas 5. The middle wealth group includes approximately one-third of all households in this livelihood zone. Middle households perform multiple tasks to generate income, including farming, trading and charcoal burning. They typically own cattle, goats, pigs and chickens and are able to cultivate roughly 3-4 limas. This group provides limited labour opportunities for the poor. The better off make up almost 10% of the zone population. They cultivate both food crops and cash crops on a large scale (with up to 12 limas under cultivation) and have substantial livestock holdings. Better off households provide labour opportunities for the other wealth groups in the zone, who they pay either in cash or in kind. The following sections outline sources of food and income, and expenditure patterns, for households in the poor and middle wealth groups over the reference period of March 2003 February 2004, which was a fairly average year in this livelihood zone. Sources of Food The graph presents the sources of food for households in the 120% Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau livelihood zone for the period March 2003 February Food is presented as a percentage of 100% 2100 kilocalories per person per day for the 12-month period 80% starting with the 2003 harvest. 60% The largest share of food sources for both poor and middle households was obtained from own crop production. Poor 40% households obtained 35-50% of their food from own crop 20% production, or roughly 5 months, whilst middle households obtained 65-80% from own production, or roughly 9 months, in 0% the reference year. The small contribution of own crops for poor households is partly explained by their lack of animal draught power, as well as lack of access to improved seed 12 varieties and fertiliser. 10 Purchases formed a slightly higher proportion of food sources 8 for poor households than for middle households at 25-35% and 20-30% respectively. As expected, poor households meet a 6 larger proportion of their food energy requirements through 4 labour exchange (working directly for food) than middle 2 households. 0 Relief and gifts contributed 5-10% of food requirements for poor households and only 0-5% for middle households, suggesting some measure of targeting of assistance in this zone. 0 livestock sales Poor Middle crop sales Very poor Poor Poor Middle Middle Better-off other relief labour exchange purchase livestock production crop production Months of consumption from own crop production Consumption of own livestock and livestock products formed an insignificant contribution to household energy requirements for all wealth groups. Similarly, in the reference year, wild foods contributed very little to the food sources of both poor and middle households, and are included with gifts in the other category in the graph. Sources of Cash The graph presents the sources of cash income for Zambian Kwacha per year crafts brewing vegetable sales charcoal sales petty trade casual labour households in the poor and middle wealth groups in the Chongwe-Nyimba Plateau for the period March 2003 February Poor households earned roughly ZK 900-1,000,000 in the reference year, compared to ZK 2,500-3,500,000 for middle households. 6 The contribution of income from crops and livestock increased with wealth. The major source of income for poor households was casual labour, which contributed 35-40% of total income. Other sources of income for the poor 5 A lima is approximately 0.25 hectare. Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee September