Blog 4: Local hydro political conflict in Namwala District, Zambia
In this blog, I will exclusively explore the local hydro-political conflict that has ensued in Namwala District, a rural district located in Southern Zambia within the Kafue River Basin ( Schelle and Pittock, 2006 ). The Kafue is one of the major tributaries to the Zambezi River with a catchment that occupies some 20% of Zambia’s total land area. Conflict, in this instance, is on a local scale as governance is represented through the full council in Namawala District and the majority of vested interests are domestic of those of local farmers and pastoralists ( Funder et al, 2010 ). Figure 1 - Showing the geographical location of Namwala District in Zambia The provenance of such conflicts can be attributed to two main reasons; the discrepancy in developed water infrastructures in rural areas and insufficient coordination and management of water sources. Unfortunate seasonality in rainfall makes water distribution and conservation extremely variable. Water sources such as sh