Participatory mapping of ecosystem services and degradation hotspots in the Nyadire Sub-Catchment, Zimbabwe: implications for multifunctional landscape design

Choruma, Dennis Junior; Mupangwa, W.; Gebrezgabher, Solomie A.

Participatory mapping of ecosystem services and degradation hotspots in the Nyadire Sub-Catchment, Zimbabwe: implications for multifunctional landscape design

Autores

Choruma, Dennis Junior

Mupangwa, W.

Gebrezgabher, Solomie A.

Editor

International Water Management Institute
CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes Program

Descripción

This report presents findings from participatory GIS (PGIS) mapping of ecosystem services and environmental hotspots conducted with smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe’s Multifunctional Landscapes specifically the Nyadire Sub-Catchment. The study applied a structured, community-based mapping methodology to identify and spatially locate key ecosystem services (e.g., water sources, fertile soils, grazing areas, forests) and environmental degradation hotspots (e.g., erosion gullies, sedimentation zones, water stress areas, infrastructure failures). Separate focus groups (by age and gender categories) ensured inclusive representation of local knowledge and priorities. The participatory mapping process generated spatially explicit datasets that reflect farmers’ lived experiences of landscape dynamics, resource flows, and vulnerability patterns. Results highlight the interlinkages between soil erosion, water stress, declining productivity, and ecosystem degradation, demonstrating the value of integrating local ecological knowledge into landscape planning. The outputs provide actionable evidence for prioritizing micro-watershed interventions, soil and water conservation measures, and climate-smart agroecological bundles. By combining participatory methods with geospatial validation, the study strengthens inclusive landscape governance and contributes locally grounded data to multifunctional landscape planning processes. The findings highlight the importance of co-producing spatial knowledge to inform sustainable land and water management strategies in smallholder systems.