SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE SURVEY AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MONITORING AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE KAVANGO ZAMBEZI TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION AREA (KAZA TFCA)

The livelihood baseline survey was done to reflect the actual living conditions of the population in the KAZA Pilot areas and to set a benchmark for comparison after the implementation of KAZA Programmes so as to measure the impact of these programmes on rural livelihoods. The baseline survey delivers valuable base data about livelihoods at household level in rural areas and establishes the base for developing a key indicator-set as a foundation for future monitoring. The study describes the distribution of livelihood assets in the KAZA TFCA pilot area based on a representative sample of 1565 household interviews and 76 community interviews and helps to identify livelihood strategies of households. The approach was to develop the survey using the livelihood framework tool (DFID, 2001; Scoones, 1998), which describes main factors affecting people’s livelihood called assets (Ashley and Carney 1999). Attributes of the livelihood framework were used for the development of the household and the community questionnaire, which included: Human Assets, Natural Assets, Physical Assets, Financial Assets and Social Capital.

Survey results Human assets are deficient in almost all countries in the pilot area due to low education, health risks and food insecurity. The low level of education reduces the quality of labour and skills available within the community to engage in diversified livelihoods strategies. Financial assets are lacking in rural households throughout KAZA-TFCA. Income levels are low and there are a high percentage of households without cash income especially in Angola and in Zambia. Agriculture and livestock keeping are regarded as not very important for livelihood, and yields are low due to poor agricultural methods, droughts and additionally high losses of crops and livestock to wildlife. Households in all KAZA countries are highly dependent on natural resources and collect many items needed to support their livelihood. KAZA residents are based on traditional land and land use rights. People collect water and firewood, edible and medicinal plants and various materials used for the construction of houses. Physical assets in terms of basic infrastructure needed to support livelihood in villages such as housing, access to health services and health facilities, water, sanitation, electricity, roads and transport, administrative infrastructure services, and economic trading facilities are low in most of rural villages of KAZA-TFCA. Apart from Botswana, where basic infrastructure is provided, physical infrastructure is lacking. Social capital is defined in terms of the social resource which people utilise to sustain and improve their livelihoods. These include kinship, cultural and religious facilities, and key local institutions that encourage networks and connection between individuals with shared interests. Traditional authority is the most important office to households in most of the countries although few households participate in government activities. In Namibia and Botswana, and to Zimbabwe in some extent, CBOs and CBNRMSs play a higher role.

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• Socio economic Baseline for KAZA