The Socio-Economic Benefits and Challenges of Inland Water
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THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF INLAND WATER TRANSPORT IN ZAMBIA: A CASE STUDY OF THE BAROTSE SUB BASIN BY NASILELE LUBINDA Thesis Submitted to the University of Zambia in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management University of Zambia Lusaka 2019 DECLARATION I, Nasilele Lubinda, do declare that this thesis represents my own work. It has not previously been submitted for a degree at this or any other University. All the work of other persons and literature used in this thesis has been duly acknowledged. i COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be re-produced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronically, mechanically, photocopying or otherwise without prior permission from the author or the University of Zambia. © Nasilele Lubinda 2018 ii APPROVAL This thesis of Nasilele Lubinda is approved as fulfilling the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management of the University of Zambia. Examiner 1: …………………………………..……Signature…………....…Date………………. Examiner 2: …………………………….………….Signature……………….Date………………. External Examiner: ………………………………...Signature………….......Date………………... Chairperson Board of Examiners…………………...Signature…………………Date…………….. Supervisor…………………………………………...Signature………………..Date…………….. iii iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to profoundly thank the following personalities and organisations for their invaluable assistance during my research: My main supervisor Dr Nawa Shalala-Mwale and my co-supervisor Prof. Imasiku Nyambe for their unwavering guidance and encouragement during the time of my study. Furthermore, I want to thank SASSCAL task 191 for the scholarship awarded to me. Without this scholarship, it would have been very difficult to successfully pursue my studies. I would also like to pay special tribute to IWRM Centre staff and course mates for their encouragement during my study period. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for the sacrifices they put up with during my absence. To them I say thank you for your patience and enduring spirit. v DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my wife Miriam, my daughters Nalishebo and Liseli and to my son Lubinda. vi ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BSAC British South African Company BTF Barotse Trust Fund CBPP Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia CSO Central Statistical Office DWA Department of Water Affairs GRZ Government of the Republic of Zambia ITCZ Inter Tropical Convergence Zone IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management IWT Inland Water Transport OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development PEMS Paris Evangelical Missionary Society PIANC Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses SASSCAL Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences ZMD Zambia Meteorological Department vii SILOZI WORDS USED IN THE TEXT Kuomboka Coming out of water Lealui Winter capital for the Litunga Limulunga Summer capital for the Litunga Lisepe Wooden boats Litongo Rain-fed village gardens Litunda Riverbank gardens Litunga The Paramount Chief of Barotseland Lizulu Raised gardens Lozi Ethnic groupings found in Western Province Makolo The Regiments Mulamba Name of the harbour in Mongu Nalikwanda The Royal Barge for the Litunga Sishango Drained seepage gardens Sitapa Lagoon gardens viii ABSTRACT Inland Water Transport (IWT) industry in Zambia has suffered neglect for a long time despite its importance to many rural settlements of Zambia such as the Barotse Sub Basin (BSB). The study assessed the socio-economic benefits and challenges of IWT in BSB. It employed a mixed methods approach and case study as a research strategy. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, interview schedules and field observations in three districts namely Mongu, Senanga and Kalabo. A sample of 200 respondents was drawn purposively. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics generated through SPSS and Excel. Results of this study indicated that IWT is very important to the socio-economic well-being of this region because it is a source of employment, tourism and recreation as well as cheap bulky cargo transportation. The challenges affecting the sector include high operational costs, unsafe vessels, unmaintained and limited waterways. On the perceived relationship between IWT usage and seasonality, the study revealed that there was more motorised water vessel traffic in the dry season than in the wet season due to economic activities like fishing and agriculture. Conversely, the study revealed that there was high usage of non motorised water vessels in the wet season as such vessels navigate uninterrupted. Water Vessel Traffic Counts results were consistent with the findings from the motorised and non motorised water vessel usage. The study recommends that government should consider periodical maintenance and rehabilitation of waterways, subsidise operational costs and formulate the inland waterways policy in order to sanitise IWT sector. Keywords: Inland Water Transport, Waterways, Barotse Sub Basin, SPSS, Zambia ix TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .....................................................................................................................i COPYRIGHT ........................................................................................................................ ii APPROVAL ......................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..................................................................................................... v DEDICATION....................................................................................................................... vi ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................vii SILOZI WORDS USED IN THE TEXT ........................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ xiv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... xv LIST OF APPENDICES ..................................................................................................... xvi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................4 1.3 Aim ...................................................................................................................................4 1.4 Specific Objectives ............................................................................................................. 5 1.5 Research Questions ............................................................................................................ 5 1.6 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................5 1.7 Scope of the Study .............................................................................................................6 x 1.8 Operational Definitions ......................................................................................................6 1.9 Ethical Consideration .........................................................................................................6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 8 2.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................8 2.1 The Socio-economic Importance of Transport ....................................................................8 2.2 Global and Regional Inland Water Transport Usage ...........................................................9 2.3 History of the Construction and Maintenance of Canals in Bulozi .................................... 10 2.4 Some Studies on Inland Water Transport and Literature Gaps Observed .......................... 13 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 15 3.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Description of the Study Area .......................................................................................... 15 3.1.1 Climate ......................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.2 Population ..................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 Socio-Economic Activities ...........................................................................................