9. The Sustainability of Woodland and the Bemba’s Lifestyle
Given that they live in a remote area, the Bemba appear to have relied mainly on chitemene cultivation on one hand, while on the other searching for ways to adapt to changing conditions. However, their resilient way of life is ultimately based on the vast woodland and its sustainable regeneration. In this sense, it can be said that the devastation of the woodland is a mirror that largely reflects the lifestyle of the Bemba. Reexamining the woodlands and chitemene cultivation through an analysis of satellite images is an important task for our future research.

Naturally regenerated woodland trees

A satellite image of the area around M village (click to enlarge)
(The circle with black dots in the center is a chitemene.)