Leveraging indigenous knowledge and natural resources for sustainable socio economic development in Mfwambo chiefdom of Mbala, Northern Province, Zambia

This study explores the contribution of indigenous knowledge systems and natural resource utilisation to sustainable socio economic development in Mfwambo Chiefdom, Mbala District, Northern Province, Zambia. Employing a pragmatist philosophical orientation, the research adopted a mixed methods design that combined quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. A stratified random sample of 200 respondents was drawn from an eligible population of 400 adults, ensuring representativeness across farmers, fishermen, artisans, households, traditional leaders, government officials, NGO representatives, and private sector actors. Quantitative analysis employed descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, chi square, and ANOVA, while qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo. The findings demonstrate that agricultural land is the most intensively utilised resource, with 96.5 per cent of respondents rating its impact on socio economic development as high or very high. Forestry resources provide supplementary livelihoods but face ecological degradation, while water resources remain underutilised despite their potential. Indigenous knowledge, particularly traditional agricultural practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, and organic manure use, plays a critical role in sustaining livelihoods and resource management. Regression analysis confirmed that natural capital, indigenous knowledge, and resource utilisation each exert statistically significant positive effects on socio economic development, jointly explaining 91.2 per cent of the variation in livelihood outcomes. The study concludes that sustainable development in rural chiefdoms depends on effective management of natural capital, equitable access to resources, and the integration of indigenous knowledge into formal systems. Policy interventions should prioritise diversification beyond agriculture, ecological conservation, and intergenerational knowledge transfer to enhance resilience and long-term development.