| dc.description.abstract | Springs are an important natural resource in many rural spaces which, if utilised sustainably,
can be an important source of livelihoods for rural communities. In Zimbabwe, the social
aspects of springs and their waterscapes remain understudied. This includes an in-depth
understanding of how communities have shaped their livelihoods around springs, the extent to
which they have contributed to sustainable rural livelihoods, especially in water stressed parts
of the country and the institutional framework shaping their access and utilisation. Using the
sustainable livelihoods framework of analysis, the goal of this study was to investigate the role
that springs and their resultant waterscapes have played in securing livelihoods for rural
households in the Save Catchment of Zimbabwe. Methodologically, the research adopted the
socio-hydrological approach which is a new and emerging discipline that aims at understanding
the interactions and feedbacks between the human and natural processes that give rise to
community water sustainability challenges. The socio-hydrological approach is informed by
both the qualitative and quantitative research techniques of data collection and analysis. Two
rural communities (Nyanyadzi and Maturure) of the Save Catchment were randomly selected
for an in-depth study. The snowball sampling technique (non-probability) was utilised in the
selection of the 100 participants for the questionnaire survey. Purposive sampling was used to
select nine key informant interview participants. Secondary data collection was done through
a systematic review of scholarly and policy literature. Qualitative data generated from primary
and secondary sources were processed and analysed using qualitative techniques such as
thematic ordering, systematisation and fine grain analysis. For quantitative data, descriptive
statistics, such as frequencies, were used to summarise and analyse questionnaire data.
Rural communities in the Save Catchment of Zimbabwe were observed to have developed
livelihood strategies that were anchored on springs and their waterscapes. In the studied
communities, springs were utilised for both commercial and subsistence purposes and
livelihoods constructed around springs included; gardening, tourism, livestock production,
brick kilning art and craft making. In the study, springs were also shown to be a very important
component of sustainable rural livelihoods. However, most of them were perceived to be
declining in both water quality and quantity, imposing complex livelihood conundrums for the
rural communities and threatening the sustainability of livelihood strategies that they are
supporting. Practices observed to be threatening the integrity of springs were encroachment of
settlements, natural environmental changes, soil erosion and population pressure. Limited
environmental awareness, poverty, poor implementation and enforcement of conservation laws
has resulted in the adoption of practices that degraded springs. Institutions shaping spring
utilisation were observed to be ineffective to a large extent due to lack of capacities and
conflicting mandates but local traditional leadership and water committees were observed to
have deeper community penetration and were the most effective in influencing access and
effective management of springs and their related waterscapes. | en_US |
