communities wholivebesidethem. importance, thereby impacting heavilyonthe interfere withwetlandsoflocaleconomic made. As a result,suchdecisionsoften land and water managementdecisionsare river basin planningisundertakenorwhen communities isnotfullyappreciatedwhen and economic valueofwetlandstorural was that in the ZambeziBasin,ecological this for communities. Amajormotivation level wetland resource usebywetland local- generally, wastoassessthevalueof of the study, andoftheprojectmore focus particular Barotse Floodplainitself.A the Caprivi WetlandsinNamibia,aswell Eastern Delta inMozambiqueandthe Zambezi Malawi’s LowerShireWetlands,the in with wetlandconservation,fieldsites formed acomponentofprojectconcerned Barotse Floodplain in westernZambia.It Zambezi’s largest wetlandcomplexes,the articulate the economic value ofonethe This casestudydescribesanattemptto all resultinginwetlanddegradation. scale hydropower andirrigationschemesare large- interference withriverhydrologyfor and encroachment foragriculture, and Resource over-exploitation,landdrainage population growth(Seyam increasing pressuresofeconomicand to Zambezi’s wetlandshavebeenvulnerable the Yet, inspiteoftheirobviousimportance, large numbersofpeopleinSouthernAfrica. particular, haveahigheconomicvalueto River Basinsystem,andwetlandsin The variouscomponentsoftheZambezi Human useoftheZambezi resources dependence onwetland local economic ZAMBIA: BAROTSE FLOODPLAIN, VALUATION #2:May2003 CASE STUDIESINWETLAND et al 2001). Integrating Wetland Economic Values into River Basin Management The Barotse Floodplain km2, increases steeply around the floodplain. The floodplain area is occupied mainly by the After rising in north-western Zambia and Lozi people, and falls under a dual passing southward through Angola, the administration − that of the Barotse Royal Zambezi re-enters Zambia in Western Province Establishment under the rule of the King, or and becomes larger and more consolidated, Litunga, and the Government of Zambia giving rise to a series of floodplains through Provincial and District line ministries (Timberlake 1997). These include the Barotse and administrative authorities. The use of Floodplain and other interconnected areas. The floodplain resources was in the past managed exact extent of the Barotse Floodplain is not according to traditional systems, under the easy to determine, because annually flooded customary authority of the Litunga. Today, areas grade into occasionally inundated parts, although formal control over natural resources and it is also difficult to separate the wetlands has been passed over to central and provincial influenced by the Zambezi from those fed by government, the Royal Establishment other catchments. Broad estimates put the maintains a great influence on natural resource Barotse Floodplain area at approximately use patterns and regulations in the region. 550,000 hectares, and the total wetland cover in the region at some 1.2 million hectares. The The Lozi people are also known as the “plains floodplain is mainly comprised of grasslands. or water people”, and local livelihoods and Although trees are largely absent from cultural traditions are linked closely with seasonally flooded areas, there are a number of seasonal flooding. During the dry season, the small wooded areas on higher ground (van Gils bulk of local production, economic activities 1998), and swamp forests are scattered over the and settlement are focused in the floodplain area. The Barotse Floodplain is flanked by area. As the plain becomes inundated, most of plateaux of Kalahari sand covered in semi- the population move to the uplands and plain evergreen woodland, interspersed with low- fringes. This annual relocation of people and lying dambos which are characterised by cattle includes the movement of the Litunga in grassland vegetation (Timberlake 1997). The a highly-celebrated traditional ceremony, called Liuwa Plain National Park and associated areas the Kuomboka (Nkhata and Kalumiana 1997). to the north west of the floodplain are relatively flat, and are waterlogged during the rainy season while remaining extremely dry Wetland resources in local during the rest of the year (Simwinji 1997). livelihoods Most of the population in the Barotse The ecological characteristics and conditions of Floodplain depend on a mixed livelihood the Barotse Floodplain, as well as the human strategy, combining crop farming, livestock production systems it supports, depend largely keeping, fishing and natural resource on the timing and duration of the annual floods exploitation. This diversity of livelihood (Timberlake 1997). The main wet season runs components, many of which depend on from November until March, although wetlands, is an effective strategy for spreading inundation depends mainly on rainfall in the risk, and income and subsistence sources vary upper catchment and on seepage from the at different times, especially according to uplands (Simwinji 1997). The onset of annual season. The rural economy is for the most part flooding varies greatly and may occur anywhere subsistence-based, and is subject to high levels between December and March, although of uncertainty and variability. About 76% of northern parts of the floodplain are generally the rural population in Western Province live in inundated earliest. The maximum flood level is poverty, and lean months are November to attained in April, after which floodwaters January/February when incomes are lowest gradually recede over May, June and July. and expenditures highest, and little food is available (Simwinji 1997). In total, the four Districts of the Barotse Floodplain are estimated to contain just under Almost all of the floodplain population are 225,000 people or 27,500 households. involved in crop farming. Of the total area Population density, which is generally low in under arable agriculture of 280,000 hectares in Western Province with fewer than 5 people per Western Province, about 10% is comprised of floodplain farming systems. The main growing are concentrated. This activity intensifies from season in the floodplain is between November May until December, when fishermen stop and April, and produces maize, rice, sweet fishing in anticipation of the rains. When the potatoes, sugar cane, fruit and vegetables. floodplain becomes fully inundated, fish are Floodplain farming systems are diverse, and mainly caught using traditional maalelo traps, as include raised gardens (Lizulu), rain-fed village well as with traps and spears. gardens (Litongo), seepage gardens (wet Litongo), drained seepage gardens (Sishango), lagoon The floodplain population also makes use of a gardens (Sitapa) and riverbank gardens wide range of wetland plants, animals and (Litunda). natural resources for their daily subsistence and income. Almost all households harvest grass, Most of the cattle in Western Province are reeds and papyrus for use in house found along the Zambezi floodplain and construction, thatching, mat and basket adjoining plains (Jeanes and Baars 1991), and production, broom making and fishing the Barotse Floodplain is known to be one of apparatus construction. Clay is also important, the most productive cattle areas in the country used for house construction and pottery (Simwinji 1997). Over three quarters of cattle making. Although the loss of many of the in Western Province are pastured in the floodplain’s wild mammal populations has floodplain, including 265,000 head that belong meant that hunting has decreased over time, to floodplain residents. The bulk of herds are turtles, birds and birds’ eggs form an important managed under a system of transhumance and supplement to local diets. move between the floodplain and adjacent uplands, usually spending January to July in the Valuing household wetland use and floodplain and the remainder of the year in the uplands. Primarily driven by the seasonal future management scenarios availability of pasture, annual transhumance is The primary aim of the valuation exercise was also important for the distribution of manure, to assess and articulate the value of wetland and in the floodplain there is a strong goods for local communities. It was carried out interaction between herding, cropping and in two phases. During the first phase, scoping fishing activities (Simwinji1 997). visits were made to the study area in order to assess the status of existing data, meet with The fisheries sector is one of the most government and traditional authorities, and important sectors in Western Province, and is consult with local villagers. This yielded mainly concentrated on the floodplains of the information about which resource were used, upper Zambezi (Timberlake 1997), especially their relative importance and value, and helped the Barotse floodplain (Simwinji 1997). Just in the design of survey instruments and over half of the floodplain population are valuation methods for the subsequent main involved in fishing activities. Fish are an study. During the second phase of the study, important source of protein, and local fish household surveys were used to obtain consumption is five times the national average quantitative data about the use of wetland (van Gils 1998). Bream make up 80% of the resources. Focus group discussions with catch (Maimbo et al 1996), and a number of community leaders, resource users, wetland smaller fish are also caught such as minnows, specialists, and different socio-economic tilapia, bottlenose and silver barbels. Fishing is categories provided a more detailed, and a highly