Abstract:
Riverbank cultivation is an activity that has existed for decades in developing countries.
Despite the threats it poses to riverine ecosystems against associated human livelihood
benefits, the effectiveness of conservation strategies has been put to the test in different
countries. Therefore, a continual understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics
of the nexus between drivers of streambank cultivation and human livelihood is key
to formulating conservation strategies that promote sustainable development. The
study’s main objective was to investigate the link between the drivers of riverbank
cultivation, sustainable livelihoods and conservation strategies through a systematic
review of literature for southern Africa, using a pre-determined criterion from 2010
to 2020. A total of 43 scientific publications were analyzed. The study used the theory
of change, which is informed by the Environmental Kutznet Curve (EKC) Theory of
environmental degradation, to analyse the nexus between the three variables. Direct
drivers include; access to land use, environmental degradation, decline related to climate
change/frequent drought, and unmatched demand for arable land. The indirect drivers
include; unsustainable livelihoods, population pressures and lack of knowledge all
work together to influence riverbank cultivation. The study concludes that protection of
riverbanks can be achieved by implementing sustainable natural resource management,
by strengthening existing policies.
