Mulongo, Manford Chilube2024-06-052024-06-051993https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6236DissertationReliable and up to date information about land use practices and available land resources in an area is essential for successful resource development and conservation. A land use assessment study was carried out in Mboole-Muyonzo Traditional Land, within the Tonga-Choma Reserve Land No. 21 in Southern Zambia. The objectives of the study were (a) to assess current land utilisation and management, (b) to assess land use change and demographic change between 1970 and 1991, and 1969 and 1990 respectively, and (c) to estimate future land requirement in the year 2000, assuming all other factors are held constant except population growth. Sequential aerial photography was used in assessing land use change during the study period. The study also attempted to project human population in the year 2000 using the exponential population growth model. A field survey was carried out to assess land utilisation and management and resource degradation in the area. The results of the study are: human population more than doubled in two decades with 5% annual growth, cultivated land expanded by 68.4% between 1970 and 1991, cattle stocking level was 2.4 ha/beast/year at the time of the survey (i.e. 40-60% overstocking) and available grazing land was less than half the requirement, and shortage of good arable land has forced the inhabitants to cultivate the hilly terrain resulting in all forms of soil erosion. The study also established that land shortage in the area was more as a result of the 1969 coercive displacement of people to give way for the Batoka ranch project than of rapid population growth. Changes in land tenure structure and land distribution pattern in the province are advisable. Periodic surveillance and monitoring land utilisation on both reserve lands and state land farming areas through sequential aerial photography and sequential geographical analysis techniques is a must if the nation is to succeed in resolving the problems of land degradation in reserve lands and land idleness in state land farming areas. Relocation of some families (e.g.the 13.6% who own 44.4% of the cattle) is advisable. Initiating a land and water management project with livestock development,grazing land management,and soil-and-water conservation as major project components is strongly recommended in the area.enLand useLand distributionLand utilizationMboole-MuyonzoZambiaThesis