‘We know the law, but we do not have a choice’: Negotiating livelihoods and soil erosion in streambank cultivation in Gwanda district, Zimbabwe

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines why streambank cultivation persists in Gwanda District, Zimbabwe, despite formal restrictions and recognised environmental harm. It asks how the practice can be explained through Blaikie’s political economy of soil erosion by linking rainfall uncertainty, water scarcity, environmental regulation, unequal access to productive water, household survival pressures, and farmers’ land-use decisions. The study uses a qualitative single-case research design grounded in political ecology and interpretivism. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, one focus group discussion, observation and a guided transect walk, and was analysed thematically. The data that was collected showed that streambank cultivation persists not because farmers are unaware of rules or degradation, but because rain-fed farming is unreliable, productive water sources are limited, and streambanks remain among the few spaces where crops can survive. Farmers valued streambanks for moisture, fertile soils, labour-saving water access, vegetables for household consumption, small cash income, and school-related expenses. At the same time, they recognised environmental effects including soil erosion, vegetation loss, sedimentation, water pollution, and stream disturbance. The findings further suggest that the new irrigation intervention offers an important alternative, but does not fully replace the food, income, crop choice, and autonomy that the farmers associated with older streambank gardens. The thesis argues that streambank cultivation is erosive adaptation: a livelihood strategy that is rational and morally defensible in the short term, yet environmentally unstable over time. It shows that enforcement of streambank restrictions, including the 30-metre rule, is unlikely to succeed where households lack reliable water access, inclusive irrigation, and realistic livelihood alternatives. Limitations include the single-case design, short fieldwork period, and there were no biophysical measurements and limited institutional interviews. Future research could examine whether irrigation interventions in Gwanda reduce the farmers’ dependence on streambank gardens over time, and could combine farmers’ accounts with soil, sediment, and water-quality measurements to assess the environmental effects of streambank cultivation more directly.