Thyolo | |
|---|---|
  Thyolo Location in Malawi | |
| Coordinates: 16°04′S 35°08′E / 16.067°S 35.133°E | |
| Country |  Malawi |
| Region | Southern Region |
| District | Thyolo District |
| Population (2018 Census[1]) | |
| • Total | 7,843 |
| Time zone | +2 |
| Climate | Cwa |
Thyolo is a town located in the Southern Region of Malawi. It is the administrative capital of Thyolo District. Traditional Authority Mphuka in Thyolo District is one of the 10 Traditional Authorities in Thyolo District in Malawi.[2] There are a number of non sustainable activities that communities in the area do that are detrimental to development.[3]
Malawi being an agricultural based economy production is dependent on natural resources whose availability and stability cannot be guaranteed in the area. Livelihoods are affected by non sustainable practices such as wanton cutting down of trees, shifting cultivation, and poor agricultural practices. The drivers of deforestation and soil erosion are interrelated with growing human population, increased demand of firewood and limited job opportunities being the main ones. The State of Environment Report of 2000 for the district identified five pressing environmental issues for the district and these included: overpopulation, encroachment in water catchment areas, poor public place sanitation, declining fish catch from natural water bodies and loss of biodiversity. One other thing that has exacerbated the social economic status of the people in this district is the introduction of tea estates a long time ago which took almost all cultivatable land away from the inhabitants leaving them only with casual labouring in the estates as an alternative for survival. The estates do little, if not nothing, for the lives of these vulnerable people.
- ^ "2018 Population and Housing Census Main Report" (PDF). Malawi National Statistical Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ Traditional authority (also known as traditional domination) is a form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or a ruling regime is largely tied to tradition or custom. The main reason for the given state of affairs is that it 'has always been that way.
- ^ Bell and Morse (2003) "An opportunity that promotes capabilities of people in the present on economic, social and environment without compromising the capabilities of future generations" (p. 2). Measuring sustainability: Learning from doing. London: Earthscan
- ^ "Mwala wa Mthunzi (Rock of the Shade/Shadow)". December 2013. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2024.