Challenges and opportunities of Catchment Management Approach in Mitigating Land degradation: The case of Mkuwazi catchment, Malawi

Land degradation is a major environmental challenge affecting many parts of the world, including Malawi, with significant impacts on agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The government of Malawi, with support from the World Bank, is implementing integrated catchment management (ICM) as a sustainable approach to manage water and land resources and to halt land degradation. Integrated Catchment Management promotes the integration of environmental, social, and economic factors within a catchment to ensure sustainable land management. The aim of this research was to identify challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of ICM in the Mkuwazi Catchment in Malawi. To shed light on this focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted. The key challenges identified include governance and policy gaps, financial and payment difficulties, structural and technical limitations, logistical and administrative constraints, occupational and safety risks, and socioeconomic barriers hindering participation. Despite these challenges, ICM presents opportunities, such as economic benefits for local communities and improved land productivity. Participants considered swale construction and gully reclamation to be the most effective interventions involved in the catchment management. However, governance structures surrounding the ICM in the Mkuwazi catchment need to be strengthened, finance mechanisms improved, technical capacity enhanced, and community involvement promoted to address the challenges involved. Such measures will help reverse land degradation and support sustainable livelihoods in Malawi.

Author dc:creator

• Binna Kipandula 1984-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands

• Endurheimt vistkerfa
• Restoration ecology
• Land degradation
• Integrated Catchment Management
• Sustainable land management
• Improved land productivity
• Community participation

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1946/50577

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/50577