Natural Sciences

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Integration of renewable energy alternatives in response to climate change: barriers and opportunities to effective transitioning.
(The University of Zambia, 2025) Musonda, Bertha
Renewable energy often referred to as clean energy, is an important energy source that comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro-based energy. Zambia’s installed energy capacity stands at 2,800 Megawatts (MW) of which 85 percent of that is hydro-based and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. In terms of policy, the Electricity Act of 2019 and Energy Regulation Act of 2019 are regulations meant to govern energy; however, they are inadequate to promote the exploitation of renewable energy sources because the two pieces of legislation are biased towards electricity generation and regulatory matters, respectively. The purpose of this study was to develop an atlas of renewable energy alternatives and highlight the barriers and opportunities for effective transitioning, in response to climate change. Furthermore, the objectives included to develop an atlas of energy alternatives with a comparative advantage in different geographical regions of Zambia, to investigate the viability and barriers of integrating alternatives and to explore the opportunities for available energy sources The Methodology involved key informant interviews, Participatory Geographic Information system, literature review of government reports, legislature, journal articles, books and any unpublished material on renewable energy and climate change in Zambia. The research design was qualitative and seven (07) key experts from the energy industry were purposively sampled because each answered a particular need for the research based on position, experience and knowledge. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data and results revealed that renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal are spread across the country. Further, barriers to the adoption of renewable energy alternatives are eminent and the development of methods that can overcome them appears to be constrained. Barriers such as Limited Infrastructure, Financial Constraints, Technical Capacity and Grid Integration continue to impede the process. The implications are that addressing these barriers and capitalizing on Opportunities associated with Abundant Renewable Resources, Policy and Regulatory framework, Job Creation and Economic Growth, significant progress can be made in transitioning to a more sustainable and climate-resilient energy system. The study recommends that ZESCO Ltd, the National Utility and Independent Power Producers should collaborate in investing in alternatives such as solar for power production country wide among others. Keywords: Adoption, Barriers, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Integration, Viability
The role of urban forest in regulating the urban heat island effect in Lusaka district, Zambia.
(The University of Zambia, 2025) Lambi, Claudia
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is about significant temperature increase in the Central business district (CBD) in comparison to the outskirts. It has the potential to amplify heat waves and hot seasons because of their intensity. UHI causes not only thermal discomfort, but also decreases in life quality. This study investigated the role of urban Forest in regulating the urban heat island effect in Lusaka district, Zambia. The study conducted a longitudinal correlational study on ambient air temperature data. Data was collected from Lusaka CBD, Woodlands suburbs, and Forest No. 27 using Mengshen Digital Psychrometer and mobile phone weather application for a period of Eight months September 2022, January 2023 – July 2023. Data analysis was achieved using Pearson’s correlation, k Within-Groups ANOVA and Trend Analyses in generalized linear models. A comprehensive review of the available literature was also done. The results showed that CBD recorded higher overall temperatures (12.4 – 26.3ºC, average=24.9ºC) compared to slightly vegetated Woodlands suburbs (11.4 – 24.5ºC, average=23ºC) and highly vegetated Forest No.27 (9.8 – 19.9ºC, average=18.2ºC). This indicates that, while UHI is a common phenomenon, green infrastructure in urban areas may, in some cases, mitigate its effects. Furthermore, the study found that the scope and impact of UHI are not uniform: depending on the peculiarities of urban morphologies, they pose different challenges linked to the microclimate peculiar to geographical locations in this case CBD, Woodlands residential and forest No.27, with the CBD experiencing higher temperatures. The study concluded that preserving and expanding urban green resources contributes to additional benefits that may reduce the effects of UHI directly or indirectly. The study also emphasizes the importance of urban forest in maintaining green areas in the CBD. The study also emphasizes the importance of city planners paying closer attention to potential UHI effects when starting new construction projects or modifying existing ones. Keywords: Green Infrastructure, Heat waves, microclimate, Psychrometer, urban heat island
Social vulnerabilities and adaptation options to climatic hazards affecting rural water supply in Barotse floodplain catchment.
(The University of Zambia, 2025) Mhereyenyoka, Everjoy
Climate change is altering hydrological patterns, leading to extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts, intense floods, and shifts in precipitation patterns threatening water supply systems in the Barotse Floodplain. This has adversely affected the rural communities in the Barotse floodplain as water supply systems are crucial for their livelihoods and well-being. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the susceptibility of rural communities in the Barotse Floodplains to climatic hazards affecting their water supply and identify adaptation options for ensuring sustainable water supply in the face of climate change. The study adopted a mixed method approach with a convergent parallel mixed method research design and a sample size of 205 households and 6 key informants. To collect the data a household survey was conducted in Malengwa, Lealui and Nakanya villages in Mongu District using a semi-structured interview. The quantitative data was used to assess the social vulnerability of the rural communities using the social vulnerability index. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings of the study show that Nakanya village is the most vulnerable, having an SVI score of 0.52 followed by Lealui village with an SVI score of 0.45 and finally Malengwa village with an SVI score of 0.39. Economic factors largely influenced the social vulnerability in all the three villages as they had the highest values. The findings also show that effects of climate change being experienced include an increase in the frequency of drought, increase in temperatures and lack of rainfall, floods, and heavy winds. The effects of climate change are negatively affecting the rural water supply of the Barotse floodplains in various ways with increase in frequency and severity of drought making water scarcer escalating water insecurity issues. This has led to adverse effects such as loss of crops, loss of livestock, drinking contaminated water, water shortages, hunger and starvation, diseases, reduced fishing activities and human wildlife conflict. The study found that rural communities were adapting to climate change impacts through measures such as digging and deepening wells, traveling longer distances to fetch water, limiting water usage, borehole drilling and construction of water supply mini schemes. The study identified adaptation options that can help enhance the local communities’ resilience against climate change impacts on water supply. These include drilling of boreholes, introduction of irrigation schemes, household clustering, recharge mapping and riverbank infiltration. The findings of the study reveal that development of climate change resilient water infrastructure is critical in enhancing the rural communities’ resilience against the impacts of climate change on water supply systems. Keywords: Barotse floodplains, Climate change, Rural water supply, Adaptation, Social vulnerability
Mapping the maize growth period using multi-temporal sentinel 1 and 2 imagery: a case study in Kasisi area of Chongwe district.
(The University of Zambia, 2025) Mtonga, Chenje Prassat
Effective agricultural monitoring is essential for ensuring food security and efficient resource management. This study aimed to use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from Sentinel 1 and Optical imagery from Sentinel 2 multi spectral instrument (MSI) for mapping and monitoring Maize fields in the Kasisi area of Chongwe District, Zambia, from November, 2019 to April 2020. This was done by capturing the temporal variations in maize growth and mapping its coverage from November 2019 to April 2020. The analysis focused on tracking maize phenological stages— sowing, emergence, vegetative growth, and maturity—through biweekly observations of SAR backscatter and NDVI. Dual-polarized SAR data (VV and VH) were analyzed to detect structural and moisture changes in maize, while NDVI and NDWI indices from Sentinel-2 provided complementary vegetation and water condition metrics. These indices also enhanced a Random Forest classifier used for land cover classification. Field-validated training data supported the classification, which achieved an overall accuracy of 96.97% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.95. Sowing was identified between 1st–15th November 2019, with emergence occurring by mid December. Maturity was reached by mid-January 2020, followed by a post-maturity decline in backscatter from March to April, marking the harvesting phase. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of SAR and optical data fusion for identifying maize growth stages and mapping crop extent, particularly in cloud-prone tropical regions. This approach offers a scalable, weather independent solution for precision agriculture and vital input for yield forecasting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: SAR, Crop Monitoring, Random Forest, Sentinel 1, Sentinel 2, NDVI, NDWI
Development of an integrated system to enhance spatial data processing & management for planning authorities.
(The University of Zambia, 2023) Lumwaya, Clayton
In a world where there is constant data generation and processing, the need for an integrated system cannot be overemphasized. The systems that enable the storage of large amounts of spatial data and available to multiple users in real time. However, studies have shown that standalone desktop spatial systems are often rigid and inflexible to support multiple data processing or demands from multiple users, highlighting the inability of traditional systems to effectively manage the ever-growing volume and complexity of spatial data. Recognizing this challenge calls for a paradigm shift toward integrated spatial management systems. These systems are designed not only to store spatial data efficiently but also to provide a dynamic and flexible framework that can adapt to the evolving demands of data processing requirements. By seamlessly integrating various tools and platforms, integrated spatial management systems offer enhanced accessibility, visualization, and processing of spatial information. The Integrated Spatial Management System, born out of these considerations, stands as a testament in overcoming the limitations of traditional desktop spatial systems. Its core objective is to unlock the full potential of spatial data utilization, promoting accessibility, visualization, and efficient processing. The research employed a quantitative approach. This approach played a pivotal role in gathering field data, contributing to the design and development of the prototype. Recent research aimed to assess the state of integrated spatial data systems among targeted institutions, revealing that 71.4% of these entities did not have integrated spatial data systems, while 28.6% had partial integration. In response to this gap, the study focused on developing an integrated spatial system architecture that would allow for seamless querying of both spatial and non-spatial data. A significant milestone was the distribution of the database across various platforms, promoting adaptability and flexibility in data management. The integration process combined existing data management tools used by local authorities, like desktop GIS, with innovative interfaces such as WEB-GIS and Mobile GIS. This approach facilitated real-time web access and data collection, significantly enhancing the capabilities for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization. A key achievement during the project was the implementation of streamlined automated map production, which offered users efficient tools for generating maps for a range of applications. The integrated system did more than just advance technology; it transformed the approach to data management in planning authorities. The ability to exchange, share, and process data through multiple access points yielded substantial efficiency gains. This allowed users to conduct deeper spatial analyses, identify patterns, and derive valuable insights from the integrated datasets. The automated map production further optimized the system's capabilities, making map generation more efficient and versatile. Keywords: Geographical Information Systems, Planning Authorities, Integrated Spatial Management System

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