AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ON RURAL LIVELIHOODS IN MWANACHINGWALA, ZAMBIA

Abstract

Water is a critical resource for rural livelihoods and lie at the heart of rural development in Southern Africa in general, particularly in Zambia. The institutional route to accessing water as laid by formal and informal governance has a bearing on rural livelihoods. Despite the detail of various water management instruments in Zambia, there is lack of clarity about who should provide this water in rural areas as well as the absence of coordination among the different institutional actors in the development and management of water resources. The study was carried out in Mwanachingwala ward, Zambia from the beginning of December 2006 to the end of May, 2007. The aim of this thesis was to analyse the effects of institutional operationalisation on rural livelihood with special focus on small holder farmers. Key informants, focus group discussions and unstructured interviews were used to assess institutions, in terms of their existence and their effectiveness for sustaining the rural livelihoods. The major findings of the case study identified how households secure water to sustain their livelihoods in the Mwanachingwala area through wells, boreholes, streams and the Kafue River, with every few individuals accessing taped water. The management of water resources at the local level was characterized by traditional institutions with traditional leaders managing the water which was mostly accessed through land plus a range of rules of access to water. These informal institutions at the local level were however were not linked to the formal institutions. An analysis of the statutory laws and policies indicated a missing link in the operationalisation of provision of water for rural communities impacting negatively on the livelihoods of the community in Mwanachingwala. This situation is further complicated by the different rules of access to water which come into play at the local level, with field observation revealing some discrepancy between the practices in place and the ideals highlighted by a human rights approach. Improved water governance facilitates access to water thereby improving livelihoods. However, it is vital to first assess the sustainability of such traditional water management practices for effective IWRM, and therefore improved water governan