Wetlands in the Limpopo Basin support the livelihoods of many poor people through a wide range of environmental services. In some cases, the development of agriculture might alter the wetland environment with potential negative impacts within but also beyond the wetland. As part of a global project aiming at analysing trade-offs between agricultural production and wetland protection, this paper presents the livelihood analysis conducted in the Intunjambili wetland located in the Tuli river basin in Zimbabwe. The objectives of this analysis are threefold:(i) to understand people’s livelihood outcomes and strategies and identify the activities they perform in wetlands and the determinants of their choices in using wetland resources;(ii) to build a typology of households according to these strategies and the contribution of wetland resources to them; and (iii) to collect data to quantify the role and importance of wetlands in livelihoods and prepare the ground for economic valuation of wetland goods and benefits.

Based on the Sustainable Livelihood Approach, the analysis uses a combination of formal survey, participatory techniques and monitoring of households activities. In the case study, the results highlight the diversity of wetland uses, and of their contribution to livelihoods. Such contribution involves not only food security and income generation, but also provides households with some specific goods and services that are not related to crop production (eg building material, medicinal plants, grazing areas). In the community, households are strongly differentiated in terms of their use and benefit from wetlands use. Overall, the results emphasize the need for adapted and case-based measures for wetlands conservation, and suggest differentiated approaches according to uses and users.