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Enhancing integration of local food systems into spatial planning in Lusaka, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography-Spatial Planning.Most sub-Saharan African cities face a lack of cogent integration and consideration of food systems (FS) in spatial planning. This has exacerbated the ongoing food insecurity in urban regions. This exigent situation calls for the integration of food systems into spatial planning. In Zambia, the proposed Lusaka City Region Food System (LCRFS) can aid the inclusion of Food systems in spatial planning. Unfortunately, in the global south, systems for food production, distribution, and processes are at odds with spatial planning. This is because they have been approached as parallels instead of different sides of the same coin. This research has developed a framework that will serve as a roadmap for improving how food systems are integrated into spatial planning. The next step involved the evaluation of the food systems in Lusaka, which was done in two phases. The first phase was to determine the city's level of food security from three residential areas: Chazanga, Mtendere East, and Kalikiliki. The second phase evaluated the sources of various foods from within the LCRFS to address the characteristics of spatial planning and the food system for Lusaka. This was done by conducting 1500 farm surveys of fresh foods within the LCRFS and 75 traders from certain markets were selected. The nexus between spatial planning and food systems was identified by evaluating existing connections, strengths, and weaknesses of this nexus, and how the existing policies address both formal and informal actors. Thematic analysis was used to assess the study's qualitative components and univalent analysis for quantitative components. The pragmatism philosophical approach was used to operationalize the integration of food systems in spatial planning and a case study was employed for Lusaka city. This was accomplished by first conducting a critical analysis of Lusaka's spatial planning environment, supplemented by key informant interviews with five snowball-selected individuals who had knowledge of Lusaka's historical development and considered the personnel of the Lusaka City Council (LCC). An embedded mixed method was possible with this method. The flux of processes, experiences, and practices served as the foundation for the ontological assumption. The epistemological presumptions were centred on the practices and applicability in real-world situations. The theoretical framework is interdisciplinary and is influenced by several sources in spatial planning, including normative and substantive planning theories, knowledge co-production, and city food region systems. The results show that many methods have been employed to reduce food insecurity in urban areas and informal settlements. Some of the strategies are the production of food in peri-urban areas; the zoning of land for agricultural use in the LCRFS; the provision of water for domestic and agricultural use; the upkeep and construction of roads; and the opening of trading points closer to consumers. However, despite
these initiatives, there is still a lack of a defined framework for proactively integrating food systems into spatial planning and a weak integration of these techniques. Furthermore, the study established that both formal and informal food sources play a critical role in ensuring food security in Lusaka. The use of a modernistic approach in governing spatial planning visa food systems in Lusaka was centre as such, contributing to the continued loss of agricultural land both in the city and surrounding districts that constitute the proposed LCRFS. Some of the recommendations provided include collaboration; the development of larger markets; the encouragement of backyard gardening; and the rerouting and improvement of road networks from agricultural areas. The study concluded that various legal frameworks that speak to spatial planning and food systems are in silos and that planning professionals have neglected the issue of food. The implications of the findings call for a robust involvement of all stakeholders. There is a need to examine the current planning legislation applicable to the local context in tandem with the problems being experienced. The following papers have since been published; “Food Insecurity in Informal Settlements of Lusaka: Spatial Planning as the Missing Link” and “Situation Analysis of Provider and Consumer in the Food System Concept of Sub-Saharan Africa with spatial planning taking centre stage: Some insights from Zambia
The provision of free education and its sustainability: the Zambian scenario.
Get PDFJournal articleThe Free Education Provision in Zambia and its sustainability study was enthused from the monitoring activities and experience the researchers had in the
implementation of Free Education Policy. The Ministry of Education has been charged with the responsibility to provide Quality, Lifelong, Education for All which is accessible, inclusive and relevant to individual, National and Global needs and Value systems (MoE, 1996) [8]. In actualising this vision and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 -2030, the Ministry has been implementing different measures to ensure education is accessible to all school going children and the entire Citizenry at large. Education fees (Tuition, Examinations and PTA) have been a huge barrier to accessing education especially to the vulnerable in society, thus, the New Dawn Government has scrapped off all the education fees from Early Childhood to Secondary levels in all Public School to ensure stable socio -
economic development of the nation. Most of literature on free education by other researchers has focussed on the impact and effects of free education however, this study focussed on how the Free Education can be sustained through sufficient sustainable flow of funds to schools for quality education provision in Zambia. Mixed method design was employed to gather the data from Education administrators and school administrators across six districts of Lusaka Province. The research findings show that Free Education policy has received positive response as could be
seen from the enormous increase in enrolment levels after its
implementation in 2022. However, the positive response to
free education policy has come with many challenges
ranging from inadequate classroom space and toilets for
proper sanitation, inadequate water supply, inadequate
specialised rooms and insufficient teaching and learning
materials and equipment, increased teacher- pupil ratio just
to mention but a few. The research shows that the
government has already started addressing the challenges
through the completion of incomplete 115 secondary
schools as well as commencement of 120 new schools
across the country, mass deployment of 30,496 teachers in
2022, increase in budgetary allocation to the Ministry of
Education in 2024 from 13.9% in 2023 to 15.4% in 2024,
increased CDF allocation from K28.3 Million in 2023 to
K30.6 Million in 2024 which has a component of the
Education which addresses the needs of the vulnerable
learners and approval of ZEPH Board members’ to ensure
teaching and learning materials are provided. All these
milestones showed sufficient funds are required to for
sustainable quality provision of Free Education for ALL.
The study informs all the stake holders of education on the
need for creating a National Education Scheme and prudent
use of and proper accountability of Free Education funds for
quality education provision in Zambia.
Keywords: Free Education, Sustainability, Accountability, Quality Education, Education Polic
Lecturers’ pedagogical practices on student teachers with visual impairement in physical education and sports classrooms at a selected college of education in Central province.
Get PDFThesis of Masters of Physical Education and Sport.The study explored lecturers’ pedagogical practices on student teachers with visual impairment (VI) in Physical Education and Sports (PES) classrooms at a selected college of Education in Central Province. The objectives were; to establish pedagogical practices employed by PES lecturers on student teachers with VI in PES theory and practical lessons, to explore how pedagogical practices employed by PES lecturers benefit student teachers with VI, to examine the applicability of teaching resources PES lecturers used on student teachers with VI and lastly, to establish challenges PES lecturers faced in PES classrooms which include student teachers with VI. A qualitative Case study design was employed in this study. Purposive sampling, which was homogeneous by type was used. Samples involved four (4) PES lecturers and two (2) student teachers with VI. Data collection used in-depth interviews and a total of eight (8) lesson observations in both theory and practical lessons. Data were analysed thematically. Pedagogical practices revealed from findings included questions and answers, lecture method, demonstration, group work and individualized learning. For student teachers with VI to benefit in PES lessons, findings revealed that PES lecturers modify activities, call names of student teachers with VI, avoid some tasks and touch student teachers will VI during lesson presentation. Even though the above were mentioned, not all the practices were used with inclusion of student teachers with VI. Additionally, PES lecturers did not use any teaching resource specifically made for student teachers with VI during lesson presentation because such were lacking at the college. Instead, an
ordinary ball was used which did not help in having students with VI getting involved in the lesson. Among other challenges PES lecturers faced were lack of knowledge and skill to handle student teachers with VI PES lessons and lack of teaching resources specifically for student teachers with VI. The study concludes that despite mentioning pedagogical practices, they were not rightly used by lecturers in PES theory and practical lessons to fully involve student teachers with VI. It recommends the college to improve pedagogies for inclusive education of student teachers with VI among PES lecturers who in turn train teachers to teach effectively in schools.
Key words: Student teachers with visual impairment, Physical Education and Sports, pedagogical practices, College of Educatio
A study of the role of the manufacturing sector in Zambia’s economic growth – a quantitative approach.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Business Administration Finance.Zambia has embraced Vision 2030 making it a middle-income nation as a project delivery method. The country faces constraints that have made this provision a challenge. The Manufacturing sector plays a role in contributing to this challenge. The purpose of this study was to understand the
contribution of each sector identified as key economic sectors in the Vision 2030 towards economic growth, with a bias towards understanding the contribution of the manufacturing sector to economic growth. The study used E-Views software and made use of quarterly time-series quantitative secondary data from 2014Q1 to 2021Q4 that was analysed using the ARDL model through regression analysis. The study found a long-run relationship that exists between the dependent and the independent variables using the ARDL bounds testing approach. The study has found that there is no statistically significant relationship between Economic growth and manufacturing sector output in the long run. However, the study shows that there is a short-run positive effect of manufacturing sector output on Economic Growth in the current period and with a lag of two periods. Therefore, manufacturing sector output is a short-run determinant of economic growth. This, however, is argued to be not ideal as Vision 2030 promotes long-term growth. This is because the manufacturing sector coupled with exports have the potential to accelerate sustainable economic growth in developing countries like Zambia. This Study has established the need for aligning gaps in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, it is proposed that there is a need for sustained relevant investment in the manufacturing sector for it to yield longterm positive effects. Economic growth is very essential for all economies and the role of the manufacturing sector can help achieve this goal
Assessing the implementation of e-learning management systems at the university of Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Masters of Business Administration Management Strategy.E-learning has become the protagonist for change and serves as an avenue for the creation, storing and sharing of knowledge among members of the university communities. The adoption of elearning management systems by higher education institutions in Zambia has continued to observe poor strides due to high costs in the using and maintaining of e-learning systems, cost of equipment and staff to maintain the products. The main objective of this research was to assess the implementation of e-learning management systems in higher learning institutions in Zambia: A case study of the University of Zambia. To explore the challenges faced by The University of Zambia in adoption of e-learning management systems. The data analysis of this research however, revealed that about 50% of the lecturers remained neutral with only 41% agreeing that the elearning platform was convenient for their studies. A larger proportion of the students was also neutral (67.28%), with a cumulative total of only 29% agreeing that it was convenient for all their academic work. This therefore means that there was no overwhelming evidence to show that elearning platform was convenient for lecturers ‘studies and students ‘academic work. These findings confirm the importance of the expected consequences of using e-learning, suggesting that training programs and organizational policies could be instituted to enhance or modify these expectations as proposed by Thompson, Higgins and Howell (1991)
Relationship between land tenure and land use in unplanned settlements in Lusaka, Zambia.
Get PDFArticleHow do land tenure and land use relate to informal settlements? Many studies have examined the effects of land regularisation on communities. Land regularisation is considered a highly effective solution for improving the residential environment in informal settlements and has been implemented in numerous developing countries. However, few studies have explored how land regularisation impacts land use in informal settlements. In this study, we investigated how residents secure land tenure and use their land in unplanned settlements in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, focusing on people's practices in detail. We focussed on two unplanned settlements in Lusaka: Chaisa Ward, an improvement area where land regularisation has occurred, and Chazanga Ward, a customary area where land is not being regularised. As the investigation method, we conducted interviews with community management organisations and 31 dwelling owners and an observational survey about land use in selected target sites in Chaisa and Chazanga in 2009, 2011, and 2014. The study findings showed that in informal settlements, where land tenure is secured by authorities within the community, communal regulation supported by community-based social bonds is an important element of land use management. However, official recognition of land rights through land regularisation could undermine communal relationships and communal land use regulations, resulting in a disorganised and congested living environment. Therefore, we point out that official intervention in land tenure should be institutionalised in a manner that fully understands and takes advantage of the relationships between land tenure and land use, as well as between land and people, which are well-balanced within the local context. This study demonstrated that communal regulation plays a key role in managing land use in informal settlements but its positive impact could be easily undermined by land regularisation. Thus, an important learning from this study is that land in informal settlements should be regularised in a way that fully understands and takes advantage of communal regulation of land use to ensure a desirable living environmen
Higher education: pathway for women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration in Zambia.
Get PDFMain articleThe success of development efforts depends on making women full and equal partners in all matters of the economy. Higher education, to be certain, by itself, is not a panacea, but is a necessary condition for the advancement of women in society. Through higher education, the journey towards participation in decision
making power begins. Access to education is considered an important determinant of women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration. This is because women’s increased education is positively associated with autonomy of decision making in different sectors of society. As such, women’s decision making power increases when they are empowered with higher education. The main objective of this study was to explore the influence of higher education qualifications on women’s appointment to decision making positions in public administration. The sample size was 25 respondents who were
interviewed from various ministries in Lusaka. Both secondary and primary data were collected for the study. Primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews and secondary data from various documents, reports as well as electronic documents. The research design used was case study and using a
non-probability sampling technique, purposive sampling and snow ball sampling methods were used. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings of the study reviewed that despite women acquiring higher education qualification in Zambia, their appointment to decision making positions in public administration has not been achieved fully. And factors such as horizontal and vertical segregation were found to be challenges that affect their appointment to decision making positions hence the reasons why the numbers of women being low. Therefore, the study recommended that the government should realize the importance of women’s appointment and participation by enacting and implementing laws, policies and regulations. Women also should be empowered with training and upgrading of skills to better participate in decision makin
Mapping of human wildlife conflict hotspots in Silowana complex of Western province in Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Geo-Information Science and Earth ObservationThis dissertation is about a study conducted on mapping HWC hotspots in Silowana Complex of Western Province in Zambia. Spatially identifying HWC (hotspots) and possible mitigation measures is necessary to inform HWC management in order to facilitate a nonviolent coexistence of humans and wildlife. This study used Earth Observation techniques, Geographic Information Systems and spatial modelling to identify areas at risk of HWC and possible mitigation measures to address the conflict, based on the Silowana Complex (SC) as a case study area. The study achieved three (3) specific objectives: it analysed forms of HWC; modelled HWC hotspots and established possible HWC mitigation measures in the case study area The study achieved its objectives through a total of 200 HWC incident records covering 2020 to 2021 acquired from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). To supplement this dataset, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 100 respondents. The study modelled HWC occurrences together with environmental predictor variables extracted from the land cover map. The land cover map was classified from entinel 2 Level 1C satellite images using the Supported Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm in ArcGIS Pro (Version 2.4.1). Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) software (Version 3.4.1) was used to model HWCs. The outputs were analyzed and mapped using ArcGIS Pro (Version 2.4.1). Further, the study found that, HWC is caused by the following species of wildlife in their order of magnitude; African elephants (Loxodonta Africana) at 47%, Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) at 24%, Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) at 21%, Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) at 2% each, Lions (Panthera Leo) at 1% and Common duiker (Sylvicapra
grimmia) at 1 %. Further, the study analyzed seasonal patterns of HWC and found that HWC occurred throughout the year with peaks in March and October. Further, the study found that a total of 550 km2 or 55,000 hectares of SC (5% of its area) was at risk of HWC. The results showed that of the total HWC hotspot areas, 60% were in the GMA, 22% were in the Open area, and 18% were in the National Park. The study also established that community members practiced exclusionary and deterrent methods to mitigate HWC. The practice of these methods show that community members had knowledge of how to mitigate HWC. The study concluded that Lower West Zambezi GMA experienced more HWC than Sioma Ngwezi National Park. Further, human communities in the GMA are the most affected by HWC than those in the National Park. The study recommended that, DNPW and its conservation partners should consider promoting community-based HWC management, conservation education, livelihood diversification, and prioritize integrated land use planning in addressing HWC in both the National Park and GMA. In addition, future studies on this topic could largely replicating this model in other landscapes in Zambia. Further research is needed focused on quantifying the impacts (Physiological, Social and Economic) of HWC on local human communities
Primary teachers’ conceptual understanding and implementation of components of a science lesson plan in three selected primary schools of Chibolya Zone, Lusaka district.
Get PDFThis study sought to examine the primary teachers’ conceptual understanding and implementation of the components of a Science Lesson Plan in three selected primary schools in Chibolya Zone in Lusaka District. The study explored the primary teachers’ conceptual understanding of the components of a science lesson plan, determined what primary teachers write on the components of a science lesson plan and found out how primary teachers implement of written science lesson plans. This study employed a pre-experimental survey design, which allows for a mixed approach. The study sample consisted of thirty (30) primary school teachers from the three selected primary schools in Chibolya Zone of Lusaka District. The three primary schools were selected randomly out of the five schools in Chibolya Zone. The thirty (30) teachers were purposively chosen. Data was collected using a questionnaire, document analysis and observation schedule. SPSS was used to generate descriptive statistics as tests of significance were not the goal of the study. Thematic analysis was used to categorise data qualitative data broadly as befits a pre-experimental survey design. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of primary teachers either possessed knowledge of the components but failed to apply them in practice, or lacked understanding of the components but still incorporated them into their lesson preparation. The findings showed that primary teachers had a relatively shallow conceptual understanding of the various components of a lesson plan as evidenced in the conceptual knowledge test. The findings of the study also revealed that some teachers’ lesson plans did not have some components that are fundamental in lesson delivery. Lastly, statistical evidence showed there were discrepancies between what was written in the lesson plans and what was being implemented in the lessons. Based on the findings, it is recommended that a policy could be suggested to introduce mandatory continuous professional development as a potential development for teachers to acquire skills for planning to teach. It is recommended that there could be clear teacher requirements in schools in terms of the appropriate design and format of the lesson plans by teachers. Lastly, in strengthening compliance to lesson plan implementation, more classroom inspections should be undertaken