Search

Lozi people living on the vast Zambezi (Barotse/Bulozi) floodplain in Western Province, Zambia, are experienced agriculturalists long adapted to seasonal patterns of flooding and drought. Compounded histories of colonialism, administrative disenfranchisement and neglect, extractive activities, and the concomitant reduction of territory and authority have impoverished the regional ecology and people. Increased climatic variability and other ecological challenges threaten Lozi ways of life, crops, and biodiversity more generally. Fish stock depletion is a major challenge reportedly partially caused by chemical contamination from insecticide treated mosquito nets used for fishing, other poison-based fishing methods, and from a Canadian mining company’s activities there. A Chinese construction company that built the bridge spanning the floodplain reportedly cultivated shrimp and snail species that threaten native fish populations. While seasonal fish bans are in place, their timing does not always correspond with traditional bans, and increased hunger (along with the impossibility of enforcement) renders such bans ineffective. In addition, some fish species have disappeared altogether. Biodiversity losses, which include water serpents deemed to be responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of the river, impact biopolitical life, cultural heritage and TEK. Appeals to UNESCO for Heritage status and WWF projects are underway and may confer some protection, however local suspicion remains due to prior agreement violations (with other bodies).

Liu, Jennifer. 2023. "Mapping otherwise?: weaving waterscape knowledges" In 4S Paraconference X EiJ: Building a Global Record, curated by Misria Shaik Ali, Kim Fortun, Phillip Baum and Prerna Srigyan. Annual Meeting of the Society of Social Studies of Science. Honolulu, Hawai'i, Nov 8-11.

"There is a large volume of evidence that shows how living in poverty can be detrimental for children, both during their childhood and beyond."

"Poverty can affect every aspect of a child’s development, limiting their social, educational and personal development."

The author used the census to gather the information needed to back up his argument on why it is important.

The main argument of the article is to show the people why it is important and it should be taken seriously. It is supported by showing the reader just how badly the children's lives are by living in poverty. 

The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) was referred in the article, which is a deprivation index used in the United Kingdom.

The article addresses the public health by showing that people can not afford daily necessities such as hosptial bills and things of that nature.

1. Children are suffering a lot more than expected. Living in poverty affected the way they learned, grow, interact and more all in a negative way.

2. People living in poverty usually never make it out of the poverty line and continue to suffer.

3. It is mainly the colored people who suffer most from the poverty crisis.

You can't really control the poverty line because there will always people who fall under the majority income. If everyone had the same amount of money, no one is really rich or poor. If everyone was given a million dollars, the poverty standard would increase along with it. Therefore, coming to a solution towards this problem isn't a one way fix. It is very complicated and has multiple different perspectives that go about it.

The main point of the article is that child poverty is a big issue and in order to address it effectively, the former Child Poverty Act of 2010 will be revised and replaced with a new act that will focus better on the real causes of poverty.