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Water resources are so important in sustaining life and livelihoods that their management can be quite complex in light of the numerous and diversified stakeholders involved. However, the lack of a comprehensive and coordinated management strategy often results in failure to resolve the water-related problems experienced by local communities. Researchers can greatly contribute to changing this situation, provided that they adopt participatory methodologies and do not limit the scope of their research to the biophysical environment at the expense of the social environment.

In Malawi, responsibility for water resources is considerably fragmented. For example, depending upon water use, the departments in charge may be either the Malawi Water Department, the city and town assemblies, the Malawi Fisheries Department or the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. This situation impedes the promotion of integrated and sustainable water resource management schemes. Coupled with inadequate action research, this has led to a failure to resolve most of Malawi's water-related problems, which include the poor management of water resources at local levels; the lack of mainstreaming of gender issues in water resource management; pollution and associated water-borne diseases; catchment area degradation; and the lack of human capacity to assist local communities.

With these problems in mind, a research initiative has been undertaken by the Biology Department of the University of Malawi to investigate the extent of environmental degradation in relation to the use and availability of water in the Lisungwi, Mwanza and Mkulumadzi rivers area. The research initiative also aims at assessing and documenting indigenous knowledge on water resource management, including the coping strategies used locally.

The rivers under study are located in the Mwanza district of southern Malawi, which covers an area of 2239 square kilometres inhabited by 138,015 people. These rivers are important tributaries of the Shire River, an outlet for Lake Malawi and the main source of hydropower in Malawi. The interest in these rivers stems from the fact that they pass through areas with various degrees of environmental degradation, mainly as a result of human activities. Indeed, the rural location of the study area implies that the local population's livelihood relies heavily on the exploitation of natural resources, water being one of them.

In the long term, the study will be useful in developing sustainable and integrated water resource management strategies and fostering economic development in the area. In other words, the results of this study will provide a route map towards designing appropriate integrated water resource management strategies and plans for the area in order to lessen water-related problems and to help achieve local social, economic and environmental goals.

To do this, the study will more specifically try to determine the social and economic influences that should be taken into consideration in policy-making. It will also try to identify the indigenous knowledge that already exists at the local level and that can be used as a stepping stone to develop water resource management plans. It will also pay special attention to gender issues and possible ways of integrating them within the water management schemes. Furthermore, on a more technical level, the quality of water will be assessed in order to determine how safe it is for local communities to use these water supplies as drinking water. If need be, mitigation measures that can be put in place to avoid the degradation of catchment areas will be defined, together with ways of building human capacity at the local level.

Using participatory tools and approaches

In order to enhance participation, an approach called 'communicative catchment' has been used throughout the study. As described by Martin (1991), the communicative catchment approach is an action-based form of research (experts engage in theory-based participatory action with communities) based on systematic thinking (including interrelationship between social and natural environments). It is an approach that allows both experts and local residents to be involved in land-use decisions, as well as in evaluating the long-term effectiveness of their action. As full-fledged participants, communities manage the catchment, while resource managers play a facilitating and coordinating role for community involvement and action.

For a long time, most researchers in natural sciences have concentrated their research on the biophysical environment, while ignoring the social environment. However, experience has shown that the social environment plays a crucial role in the functioning of natural systems. Catchment ecology and management have also provided valuable information for achieving sustainable land-use practices. However, the input and cooperation of local residents is absolutely necessary (Brown and Kalindekafe, 1999). Although various participatory communication or data collection methods have been used over the years to involve local communities and gain their input, in most cases nothing returns to communities once the research project is completed.

In this case, the research team initially conducted a literature review in order to define general guidelines for the study. However, since the root causes of the environmental problems were not known, it was necessary to involve the local community. This was not easy because people have their own priorities when it comes to their livelihood. In order to overcome this difficulty, the study team had to come up with an effective participatory communication approach that could facilitate the relationship with local communities. The communicative catchment approach is being used in this study to ensure maximum involvement and feedback to communities.

The communicative catchment approach, like other like-minded methodologies such as community forestry, is based on concepts similar to those of participatory development communication (PDC), which can be defined as the effective exchange of ideas and information through the active involvement of communities and other stakeholders for improved welfare. In this particular study, the use of the communicative catchment approach is considered a proxy for participatory development communication.

In that context, a number of participatory tools have been used, including questionnaires, focus group discussions, resource mapping and interviews with key informants.

Training

As a first step, enumerators from the study area have been trained in a participatory fashion. The trainees contributed to the improvement of the questionnaires and the development of key questions for the focus group discussions. The training sessions have also allowed for capacity-building in terms of awareness of key issues and the roles that different groups play in natural resource management. Enumerators have helped the researchers by advising them on cultural norms – for example, how to approach women and elders to ensure their cooperation. During the training sessions, the sitting arrangement has been done in a manner that does not place the facilitator as a boss but as a co-participant, which makes the process very interactive. Postgraduate students at times accompany the principal researchers as a way of learning by observing and doing. The knowledge gained from the field experience is discussed further in class and incorporated within their own research projects.

Semi-structured questionnaires

The second step consists of questionnaires being administered for each river. The questions cover all the issues that are crucial to the objectives of the research. This approach requires a lot of time with local people. Enumerators administer the questionnaires under the supervision of the principal researchers. Apart from responding to the questions, people are also allowed to ask questions and make comments on the issues that they deem relevant, even those that are not covered by the questionnaire. This allows for the constant improvement of questionnaires by ensuring that the issues discussed with earlier respondents are not omitted.

Focus group discussions

Focus group discussions, which are open-ended and semi-structured conversations with smaller groups made up of men, women and traditional leaders, have also been conducted. The advantage of focus group discussions is that they encourage the participation and contribution of different interest groups who may not share freely their views and concerns in the presence of other groups' members because of customs and traditional beliefs. One full day is assigned for the focus group discussions for each river.

It is usually difficult to assemble people together in a context where their priority is to solve their immediate needs rather than discuss environmental issues. This is particularly true with women, whose work burden is often overwhelming. The approach adopted in this study consisted of holding discussions as the women continued with their normal activities (in this case, selling goods at a local primary school). The men were easier to assemble in groups.

Key informant interviews

Key informants for this study include retired officers, chiefs, village headmen, field assistants and community development assistants, depending upon availability. Most of these informants are very knowledgeable and cooperative. However, a few of them want their personal agenda to be met rather than that of the community.

Resource maps

As a follow-up to focus group discussions, resource maps are drawn by the same members of the focus group discussions on the following day to examine the different resources used by women, men and other gender groups and the personal and use value that women and men attach to such resources. The purpose of the exercise is twofold. First, it aims to map out the resources that are thought to be associated with dominant socio-cultural categories of 'women' and 'men'. Second, it seeks to map out the spaces used by individual gender groups. This enables the researchers to draw out contradictions between local ideology about gender roles and gender spaces (i.e. what should be) and daily gender practice (i.e. what is). In other words, this exercise reveals local social ideals regarding gender roles and the use of space and resources as it happens in everyday life.

Each gender group is then asked to map out the spaces, places and resources used by women and men using different colours, codes and symbols. Participants are asked to point out and comment upon the key places, features (such as their home or a nearby road), structures and resources that are important to them. They are then asked to identify and draw key places/spaces that are essential (or peripheral) to their daily activities, as well as the places/spaces which they perceive to be important to men/women and to themselves personally. Participants are not to be interrupted unless they stop drawing, in which case questions are asked to prompt them.

This approach is challenging in that it takes up a lot of time. For this reason, participants are usually given drinks and local food such as nsima. Bringing drinks such as orange squash and food such as rice and meat is seen as a special event and attracts people. The meat is bought from the local people and the drinks from local shops. Both researchers and assistants help in the cooking. Although some consider it controversial, the team has discovered that through eating together, people feel that you are part of their group and open up more easily to discussions.

Benefit–analysis charts

The use of benefit–analysis charts, as a point of departure within the focus group discussions, allows for in-depth examination and analysis of who uses and benefits from particular resources. This gives data on who actually benefits from the different resources despite access, control and use. Flip charts are used in the focus group discussions to draw benefit–analysis charts. Researchers explore why women and men use natural resources (i.e. the benefits they receive from particular natural resources) by examining the attributes that women and men ascribe to different resources (nutrition, medicinal use and so on). We also explore who holds traditional knowledge and which resources are commonly sold to local/regional markets and by whom.

Transect walks

Together with the local people, the state of water and of biodiversity is assessed, as well as the general environmental degradation along each riverbank. Local people usually explain the different uses of various species, while the researcher explains the biological and ecological use and the importance of conserving those resources. Both parties learn from each other in the process.

Communication challenges and strategies

In this process, a number of communication challenges may arise. Possible strategies to address the most common challenges are outlined in Table 3.1.

The way forward

The researchers involved in this study have recently joined the Isang Bagsak forum, a capacity-building and networking programme in participatory development communication. Through the various themes posted on the programme's electronic forum, the researchers have been able to exchange ideas and to learn from others on the use of PDC in natural resource management. Ideas that can be applied to the local setting are then communicated to local communities for their comments.

Most people in the study area are poor. They have little formal education and very low levels of basic science, but plenty of traditional ecological knowledge. Therefore, the project will now focus on integrating basic science with sustainable traditional ecological knowledge.

A workshop for the community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) committee members and local extension workers who live and work in the vicinity of the three rivers is planned for the project's end in order to obtain final feedback. The results (including maps produced and photographs taken) will be disseminated to, and finalized at, the workshop. The material will also be used as a basis for future work.

The capacity of local communities is expected to improve through an increase in their knowledge base and the promotion of technological changes in water resource management. As a way of providing feedback to people, maps and photographs acquired during the study will be placed at strategic places throughout the area, such as schools, health centres, churches and other common places. It is believed that the visual impressions will constantly remind local people of existing environmental problems and possible solutions. With the sustainable use of natural resources as its objective, the study also aims to build trust in the communities in terms of the project's worth and the relevance of their involvement. As such, those involved in this study are accountable for setting the agenda, disseminating messages, approaching issues, etc. The communicative catchment approach allows for this accountability: once the study is completed, the existing community-based natural resource management committees will periodically monitor the natural resources of the area, especially the 'hotspots', and come up with better ways of managing the environment.

Table 3.1 Communication challenges and strategies

It is hoped that this approach will ensure the integrated management of resources and improve the welfare of local people.

References

Brown, R. and Kalindekafe, M. (1999) 'A landscape ecological approach to sustainability: Application of the communicative catchment approach to Lake Chilwa, Malawi', in FitzGibbon, J. E. (ed) Advances in Planning and Management of Watersheds and Wetlands in Eastern and Southern Africa, Weaver Press, Harare

Martin, P. (1991) 'Environmental care in agricultural catchments: Towards the communicative catchment', Environmental Management, vol 6, no 15, pp773–783

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