Ellinor Isgren
Researcher
Local perceptions of land-use change : Using participatory art to reveal direct and indirect socioenvironmental effects of land acquisitions in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania
Author
Summary, in English
In this study, we combine conventional qualitative approaches with a more novel approach, participatory art, to explore local perceptions of land-use change and future aspirations for development in two communities in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We concentrate on the effects of large-scale land acquisitions on people and the environment in an ecologically important area. Leasing of land to foreign agribusinesses for the production of timber, food, and fuel crops has created a politically charged debate with strong ideologies on both sides, and people directly impacted are not the ones driving the debate. Local farmers, fishermen, and pastoralists were cued about landscape and livelihood changes through focus-group discussions, interviews, and by cocreating paintings of the past, present, and future. Findings reveal that art can make a valuable methodological contribution for understanding and communicating complex interactions between drivers of change and their socioenvironmental impacts, and for exploring desirable future visions.
Department/s
- Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
- LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Publishing year
2017
Language
English
Publication/Series
Ecology and Society
Volume
22
Issue
1
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
The Resilience Alliance
Topic
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1708-3087