Why climate resilient rural development / climate compatible development?

The presentation provides an introduction to what climate resilient pathways look like in terms of governance and regional climate adaptation initiatives in Africa. The pursuit of climate-resilient pathways involves identifying vulnerabilities to climate change impacts; assessing opportunities for reducing risks; and taking actions that are consistent with the goals of sustainable development, as well as incorporating analyses of climate change impacts into development planning in a given country or community. Climate resilient development includes alignment of non-governmental organizations and subnational actors such as regional councils

Towards the Reduction of Vulnerabilities and Risks of Climate Change in the Community-Based Tourism, Namibia

Climate change is one of the contemporary issues in the world that has proven to have direct impact on the development of different nations. Community-based tourism has been identified as a potential contributor to household security. In this chapter, the analyses were derived from regional consultations in the two regions with community members, traditional leaders, and key stakeholders. In Namibia and particularly Kunene and Zambezi regions, community-based tourism has expanded, providing employment to the residents of these communities. Similarly, there has been an increase in joint venture agreements between local communities and external investors in areas such as constructions of lodges, tented camps and tour guiding. The community-based tourism sectors in Zambezi region and Kunene region are prone to climatic hazards, in particular, frequent floods and prolonged drought. This chapter recommends inclusive climate change adaptive strategies that promote climate proof infrastructure for tourism establishment. An effective community-based tourism intervention for the Zambezi region is necessitated by a well-informed and consultative planning and execution to reduce the effects of flood. For Kunene region, community-based tourism interventions should be aimed at addressing the risks resulting from drought. It should, therefore, prioritise sustainable water security and environmental management practices

The changing climate and human vulnerability in north-central Namibia

North-central Namibia is more vulnerable to effects of climate change and variability. Combined effects of environmental degradation, social vulnerability to poverty and a changing climate will compromise subsistence farming in north-central Namibia (NCN). This will make subsistence and small-scale farmers in the region more vulnerable to projected changes in the climate system. Thus, the aim of this article was to examine factors contributing to subsistence farmers’ vulnerability to impacts of climate change. The article further discusses different aspects of human vulnerability and existing adaptation strategies in response to impacts of climate related disasters experienced over the past three to four decades in NCN. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches and methodology were employed to obtain information from subsistence farmers in north-central Namibia. The sociodemographic characteristics of Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati Region reveals high levels of unemployment, high adult and elderly population and high dependency on agricultural livelihood system. These indicators help understand levels of household vulnerability. The study concludes that households interviewed revealed low levels of adaptive capacity due to exposure to climate risks and combined effects of social, political and cultural factors. This article provided an understanding that is required to inform the adaptation pathways relevant for NCN

CDKN project at a glance

The aim is to strengthen horizontal relationships among government departments at sub-national level, support the mainstreaming of gender and climate change into national rural development strategies, and enhance local participation of vulnerable people on income generating activities. The Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) project identified factors that constrain adaptation planning and implementation in Namibia. This Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) project brief provides an outline of a number of programmes, along with project partners and their roles, as well as a table describing Project Outcomes, Deliverables and Status of the project

Stakeholder and influence network mapping exercise with the government, development and research actors in Namibia

This report summarises the outcomes of the Stakeholder and Influence Network Mapping exercise were undertaken on the 23rd of July 2015 in Windhoek, Namibia. ASSAR southern African Team members: Margaret Angula, Nahas Angula, Nguza Siyambango (UNAM); Dian Spear, Salma Hegga (UCT); Hillary Masundire and Chandapiwa Molefe (UB) assisted and participated in the stakeholder mapping workshop facilitated by Daniel Morchain (Oxfam). This event brought together 11 national stakeholders from the government (Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development, Namibia Energy Institute), NGOs (NNF, IRDNC) and Researcher/ Academic institutions (SASSCAL, DRFN & UNAM) (see Annex 9.2for a list of participants). The Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid (ASSAR) a multi-institutional and multi-national study investigates the factors that restrict effective adaptation to climate change impacts in agriculture-dependent communities in north-central Namibia. A multi-method approach including literature review, household surveys and semi-structured interviews is used to: i) explore the drivers of vulnerabilities to floods and droughts; 2) identify adaptation strategies; and 3) identify the barriers that impede successful adaptation. This report contains five main sections. Section 2 introduces the aims and objectives of the mapping exercise to ASSAR research. The Third section describes the methodology and approaches used, while section 4 describes the framing and analysis procedures employed. Section 5 presents the findings of the Network Influence Mapping exercise from the three groups of stakeholders attending the workshop. The discussion of the results and implication of the results are presented in section 6 and 7, respectively

Inside story : lessons from mainstreaming climate change in Namibia

This inside story forms part of the CDKN Knowledge for Change series, which reflects on the common challenges, lessons, and successes CDKN and its partners have encountered in facilitating evidence-based decision-making to accelerate climate action. The aim of this work is to better understand how knowledge and evidence on climate change can inform and translate into policy and implementation. This refection process has investigated different tools and approaches for enhancing the use of knowledge in decision-making, the barriers encountered in facilitating change, and lessons useful for others who navigate similar challenges.Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherland

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Semi - Arid Regions of Southern Africa

The main objectives of the RDS phase are to i) develop a systematic understanding of existing knowledge and perceptions of climate change trends, impacts, vulnerability, adaptation strategies, and barriers and enablers to effective adaptation in SARs; ii) provide a system scale perspective from which ASSAR researchers can undertake research in the Regional Research Programme (RRP); and iii) help inform the more detailed sets of specific research foci for the RRP

Strengthening gender responsiveness of the Green Climate Fund ecosystem-based adaptation programme in Namibia

This research was funded by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia through GCF (project number EDA FP024) and UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund (UKRI GCRF) through the Development Corridors Partnership project (project number: ES/P011500/1).Scholars of gender and climate change argue that gender-blind climate change actions could exacerbate existing inequalities and undermine sustained climate change adaptation actions. For this reason, since 2017, the Green Climate Fund placed gender among its key programming prerequisites, making it the first multilateral climate fund to do so worldwide. However, to date, no lessons to inform planned gender-responsive ecosystem-based interventions in Namibia have been drawn from community-based natural resource management. Thus, this paper aims to share key lessons regarding the way in which gender assessment is useful in enhancing equity in an ecosystem-based adaptation programme for the Green Climate Fund. To this end, we conducted in-depth interviews and group discussions in the 14 rural regions of Namibia with 151 participants from 107 community-based natural resource management organisations (73.5:26.5; male:female ratio). The results identified gender imbalances in leadership and decision-making due to intersecting historic inequalities, ethnicity and geography, as well as other socio-cultural factors in local community-based natural resource management institutions. We also identified income disparities and unequal opportunities to diversify livelihoods, gendered differentiated impacts of climate change and meaningful participation in public forums. Overall, the assessment indicates that considering gender analysis at the initiation of a community-based climate change adaptation project is crucial for achieving resilience to climate change, closing the gender gap, building capacity to increase equity and empowering women in resource-dependent environments in Namibia and Sub-Saharan Africa more broadly.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Vulnerability and Risk Assessment in Botswana's Bobirwa Sub - District: Fostering People - Centered Adaptation to Climate Change

In November 2015, ASSAR’s (Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions) Southern Africa researchers from the University of Botswana (UB), University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Namibia (UNAM) and Oxfam, conducted a two-day Vulnerability Risk Assessment (VRA) in order to bring stakeholder groups closer to ASSAR’s work. Based on the findings, the aim was to reassess ASSAR’s priorities. The workshop was attended by various government officials, Village Development Committee (VDC) members, local community members, and representatives from farmer committees

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia Information brief

This work was carried out under the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA), with financial support from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DfID) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.Vulnerabilities to impacts of climate change are gendered. Still, policy approaches aimed at strengthening local communities’ adaptive capacity largely fail to recognise the gendered nature of everyday realities and experiences