Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULC) in the Lake Malawi Drainage Basin, 1982-2005

Chavula, Geoffrey; Brezonik, Patrick L.; Bauer, Marvin E.

doi:10.4236/ijg.2011.22018

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…Our findings also show-decreasing productivity trends, especially in the southern region, correlate with a rainfall gradient that follows a north to south pattern [82]. The decreasing productivity across Malawi suggests that the landscape is homogenous in terms of vegetation types and cropping systems; areas with sparse vegetation have effect vegetation apparent reflectance lost due to the soil or bare areas, while in drier areas, the vegetation reflectance values are not expected to change much over time [55,83]. Decreasing trends that occur during main growing season, suggest crop failure due to erratic weather across Malawi, as prior extreme weather events, as reported in earlier years 2009, 2012, and 2015, subsequently affected crops in the main growing season [69].…”

Section: Malawi's Productivity Trendsmentioning

confidence: 51%

Spatial Pattern of Agricultural Productivity Trends in Malawi

2020

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This study aims to assess spatial patterns of Malawian agricultural productivity trends to elucidate the influence of weather and edaphic properties on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) seasonal time series data over a decade (2006–2017). Spatially-located positive trends in the time series that can’t otherwise be accounted for are considered as evidence of farmer management and agricultural intensification. A second set of data provides further insights, using spatial distribution of farmer reported maize yield, inorganic and organic inputs use, and farmer reported soil quality information from the Malawi Integrated Household Survey (IHS3) and (IHS4), implemented between 2010–2011 and 2016–2017, respectively. Overall, remote-sensing identified areas of intensifying agriculture as not fully explained by biophysical drivers. Further, productivity trends for maize crop across Malawi show a decreasing trend over a decade (2006–2017). This is consistent with survey data, as national farmer reported yields showed low yields across Malawi, where 61% (2010–11) and 69% (2016–17) reported yields as being less than 1000 Kilograms/Hectare. Yields were markedly low in the southern region of Malawi, similar to remote sensing observations. Our generalized models provide contextual information for stakeholders on sustainability of productivity and can assist in targeting resources in needed areas. More in-depth research would improve detection of drivers of agricultural variability.

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Section: Malawi's Productivity Trendsmentioning

confidence: 51%

Spatial Pattern of Agricultural Productivity Trends in Malawi

2020

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“…The dominant land cover in the Lake Malawi and Shire River basins is cultivated land. In 2005, cultivated land covered 33.7%, while forest area coverage was at 24.3%, savanna woodlands and shrubs were at 19.9% and the rest (22.1%) was covered by water [37]. Land cover is changing in the basin towards more cultivated land and less savanna woodlands and forest [38].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study investigates the potential impacts of changes in climate conditions and does not consider changes in land use and land cover or water abstraction for irrigation. However, changes in land cover and expansion in irrigation farming in the course of the socio-economic development in Malawi, as has happened in the recent past can be expected to continue/expand in the future, that will also influence the hydrological system of the basin [37][38][39].…”

Section: Limitations and Uncertaintiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Susceptibility of Water Resources and Hydropower Production to Climate Change in the Tropics: The Case of Lake Malawi and Shire River Basins, SE Africa

et al. 2020

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The sensitivity of key hydrologic variables and hydropower generation to climate change in the Lake Malawi and Shire River basins is assessed. The study adapts the mesoscale Hydrological Model (mHM) which is applied separately in the Upper Lake Malawi and Shire River basins. A particular Lake Malawi model, which focuses on reservoir routing and lake water balance, has been developed and is interlinked between the two basins. Climate change projections from 20 Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) models for Africa based on two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) for the periods 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 are used. An annual temperature increase of 1 °C decreases mean lake level and outflow by 0.3 m and 17%, respectively, signifying the importance of intensified evaporation for Lake Malawi’s water budget. Meanwhile, a +5% (−5%) deviation in annual rainfall changes mean lake level by +0.7 m (−0.6 m). The combined effects of temperature increase and rainfall decrease result in significantly lower flows in the Shire River. The hydrological river regime may change from perennial to seasonal with the combination of annual temperature increase and precipitation decrease beyond 1.5 °C (3.5 °C) and −20% (−15%). The study further projects a reduction in annual hydropower production between 1% (RCP8.5) and 2.5% (RCP4.5) during 2021–2050 and between 5% (RCP4.5) and 24% (RCP8.5) during 2071–2100. The results show that it is of great importance that a further development of hydro energy on the Shire River should take into account the effects of climate change, e.g., longer low flow periods and/or higher discharge fluctuations, and thus uncertainty in the amount of electricity produced.

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“…Increased runoff consequently leads to stronger soil erosion usually in areas with poor vegetation cover [8,[19][20]. Erosion of soil under continuous cultivation is the most serious form of resource degradation occurring in Malawi [3,8,19,[21][22][23]. The rate of soil loss in Malawi is currently estimated at 29 t/ha/year [24], which is higher than the previously reported 20 t/ha/year [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on the Nkula Dam in the Middle Shire River Catchment, Malawi

Mzuza¹,

Zhang²,

Kapute³

et al. 2019

Earth Observation and Geospatial Analyses [Working Title]

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Land use and land cover changes over a 26-year period for the middle Shire River catchment, Malawi, in southern Africa, were assessed using geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. The catchment area under study was divided into two sections, western and eastern sides of the Shire River. High rate of deforestation averaging 4.3% per annum was observed and more pronounced in the western side of the river. Rapid population growth and increase in gross domestic product (GDP) are identified as the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation due to clearing of vast fields for agriculture, land expansion for urban settlement, and cutting down of trees for wood fuel energy. Deforestation in the middle Shire River catchment has resulted into increased soil loss through erosion causing huge accumulation of sediment at the Nkula B Hydroelectric Power Dam downstream and, consequently, causing serious problems with generation of hydroelectricity. Frequent droughts and floods in the area have drastically affected crop production forcing people into cutting down of trees for charcoal as a livelihood strategy. Combined techniques such as GIS, remote sensing, and socioeconomic factors used in this study could be applied in other places where similar challenges occur.

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Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULC) in the Lake Malawi Drainage Basin, 1982-2005

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Spatial Pattern of Agricultural Productivity Trends in Malawi

Spatial Pattern of Agricultural Productivity Trends in Malawi

Susceptibility of Water Resources and Hydropower Production to Climate Change in the Tropics: The Case of Lake Malawi and Shire River Basins, SE Africa

The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on the Nkula Dam in the Middle Shire River Catchment, Malawi

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