Exploring preferable nature futures for biodiversity and climate governance in the Barotse Cultural Landscape
Overview
This project explored the diverse worldviews and plural values held by stakeholders involved in biodiversity and climate governance in the Barotse Cultural Landscape through a futures visioning workshop using the Nature Futures Framework. Stakeholders include state actors, innovative initiative founders (seeds), traditional authorities from the Barotse Royal Establishment, artists and a writer.
The Barotse floodplain is a Key Biodiversity Area and Ramsar Site along the Zambezi River in the Western Province of Zambia. It is also referred to as the Bulozi or Lyondo. It has been inhabited by the Lozi people since the 1600s.
The Zambian Government and the Barotse Royal Establishment form the dual system governing its natural resources. The landscape has extensive man-made canals, sacred mounds, and other sacred sites of cultural importance. The Kuomboka transhumance ceremony is its most prominent event. The Litunga, the Lozi King, moves from Lealui in the plains to the Limulunga highlands when the plains are inundated annually. This historical event has been happening for the past 200 years.
Narratives
Three narratives were developed using the framework’s three value perspectives:
Nature for Nature – Bukombwa Bwa Lifa (Stewardship of wildlife and natural resources in the Barotse cultural landscape)
Nature for Society – Kutalafaza Bulozi bwa luna kamuso (Barotseland leads with climate action initiatives)
Nature as Culture – Bukamuso bo bunde, ka sizo ni lifa la luna (A good future modelled on culture and natural resources).
Community quotes:
Feelings about the future of biodiversity and climate governance/management in the Barotse floodplain.
Before workshop:
After workshop:
Bios from partners/writers/artists
Writer: Bwanga Kapumpa
Bwanga Kapumpa writes fiction and creative nonfiction. His short stories have been published by the Caine Prize for African Writing and Afritondo Short Story Prize among others, and he has been shortlisted for the Miles Morland Foundation scholarship twice. He also works as a conceptual artist and his installations have been shown in Livingstone, Zambia as well as the 13th Berlin Biennale in Germany.
Bwanga is currently pursuing a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town and hopes to inspire more African writers. He hails from Lusaka, Zambia.
Artist: Chibba Chumya
Chibba has learnt to fully utilise strong art language and thinking skills to critique art, which brings added value to the building of his art trajectory. With passion and dedication to the arts, he is learning to soar like an Eagle in its flight.
Chibba studied Art and Design with Education at Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Sciences. Upon graduation, he was deployed to the Ministry of Education as a Subject Teacher. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Zambia Open University and is currently the Head of Department – Expressive Arts at St. John’s Secondary School in Mongu, Zambia.
He explores various art media, including charcoal pencils, acrylic paints, Watercolours, String Art, Chitenge materials, found objects, and many others, to create his art. Besides pictorial works, Chibba equally finds pleasure in photography, making crafts, architectural models, as well as designing and print-making.
Local Host: Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute
The Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) is a non-profit Zambian company limited by guarantee which collaboratively works with public and private stakeholders in the agricultural sector. IAPRI exists to carry out agricultural policy research and outreach.