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Evaluation of environmental impact assessments in coastal management : a case of the Erongo region in Namibia

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The world is currently faced with many environmental issues like land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss as well as the overutilisation of natural resources as a result of unsustainable human activities. To address these challenges, many countries have enacted environmental laws and developed management tools to aid in minimising environmental damage. These tools range from sustainability assessments and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) to environmental impact assessments (EIAs), amongst many others. EIA has been adopted by many countries to assist institutions responsible for environmental governance to identify potential environmental threats resulting from human activities at a project level. The Namibian Constitution as overall legislation that supersedes all the other laws in the country, stipulates that the state shall ensure the welfare of its people by maintaining ecosystems and sustainable use of natural resources. Other laws relating to environmental management that must adhere to the constitution have also been enacted. Some of these laws have specifically referred to EIA to provide details and guidance for conducting such assessments. This study evaluates how EIAs comply with Namibian laws and guidelines, and whether they are effective as an environmental management tool in coastal management as per the case studies of developmental projects from the Erongo Region, a coastal region in Namibia. The study was also aimed at determining whether EIAs contribute to the achievement of national development goals and sustainable development. The study utilised both qualitative and quantitative designs. The research objectives were achieved with a desktop study to review EIA reports, and a survey that collected information from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Sixteen (16) EIA reports of some projects that have been conducted in the Erongo Region between 2010 and 2019 were reviewed. A questionnaire was also prepared and distributed to all employees within the Directorate of Environmental Affairs who directly deal with processing EIAs. The study found that the EIA as an environmental management tool in coastal management complies with Namibian environmental laws and regulations. The study also revealed that the EIA process is effective to a certain extent, although there are weaknesses regarding aspects such as administration, access to EIA-related information and monitoring that need to be strengthened to ensure complete effectiveness.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : wêreld word op die oomblik met vele omgewingsprobleme soos agteruitgang van grond, ontbossing, verlies aan biodiversiteit, asook die oorbenutting van natuurlike hulpbronne gekonfronteer as gevolg van onvolhoubare menslike aktiwiteite. Om hierdie uitdagings die hoof te bied, het talle lande omgewingswette ingestel en bestuursinstrumente ontwikkel om die skade aan die omgewing te verminder. Hierdie instrumente wissel onder meer van volhoubaarheidsbeoordelings en strategiese omgewingsevaluasies (SEA) tot omgewingsimpakassesserings (EIAs). EIAs is deur talle lande aanvaar om instellings, wat vir omgewingsbestuur verantwoordelik is, by te staan om potensiële omgewingsbedreigings as gevolg van menslike aktiwiteite op projekvlak uit te ken. Die Namibiese Grondwet – as algehele wetgewing wat alle ander wette in die land vervang – bepaal dat die staat die welstand van sy mense sal verseker deur die instandhouding van ekostelsels en die gebruik van natuurlike hulpbronne op 'n volhoubare basis. Ander wette oor omgewingsbestuur, wat uiteraard aan die Grondwet moet voldoen, is ook uitgevaardig. Sommige van hierdie wette het spesifiek na EIAs verwys om sodoende besonderhede en leiding te bied vir die uitvoer van sulke assesserings. Hierdie studie evalueer hoe EIAs aan die Namibiese wette en riglyne voldoen, en of dit as 'n omgewingsbestuursinstrument in kusbestuur doeltreffend is volgens die gevallestudies van ontwikkelingsprojekte uit die Erongo-streek, een van Namibië se 14 streke. Die studie was ook daarop gemik om te bepaal of EIAs tot die bereiking van nasionale ontwikkelingsdoelstellings en volhoubare ontwikkeling bydra. Met dié studie is van kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe ontwerpe gebruik gemaak. Die navorsingsdoelstellings is met 'n lessenaarstudie bereik om EIA-verslae te hersien, asook deur middel van 'n opname wat inligting van die Ministerie van Omgewing en Toerisme versamel het. Sestien (16) EIA-verslae van sommige projekte, wat tussen 2010 en 2019 in die Erongostreek uitgevoer is, is hersien. 'n Vraelys is ook opgestel en versprei aan alle werknemers binne die Direktoraat Omgewingsake wat direk met die verwerking van EIAs te make het. Die studie het bevind dat die EIA as 'n omgewingsbestuursinstrument in kusbestuur aan die Namibiese wetgewing en regulasies voldoen. Die studie het ook aan die lig gebring dat die EIA-proses tot sekere mate doeltreffend is, hoewel daar swakpunte is ten opsigte van aspekte soos administrasie, toegang tot EIA-verwante inligting en monitering wat verstewig moet word om volledige doeltreffendheid te verseker.Master

Southern Africa's 2012–13 Violent Storms: Role of Climate Change

AbstractThis study which sought to understand the phenomenal events surrounding numerous, intense and violent storms in southern Africa, was inspired by the unusually active 2012-2013 season. In addition to improving the Early warning system, the study supports the evaluation and calibration of the weather forecasting guidance NWP products and RCMs alike. The study also sought to investigate the role of Climate Change in the occurrence of these storms in addition to understanding the science behind them, the causes and possible return periods for better impact, vulnerability and adaptation studies as well as integration of Climate Risk Management practices like Weather Index Insurance and climate resilience planning into development. Preliminary analyses categorized Chivi storm as a Dry Macro-burst as the region experienced serious delayed onsets of rainfall and high temperatures, Chilonga and Mt Darwin as squall lines and nados respectively, whereas Bindura and Mberengwa cases were all Wet Macro-bursts. Density currents from nearby mountain ranges coupled with extreme temperature rises, influx of moisture into dry regions prior to these events were identified as the possible triggers which were aided by prolonged dry spells in the rain season. Rapid Climate Change is thought to have enhanced and prolonged the 2012-2013 storm activity which stretched until April which is cooler. Global warming which increases the atmospheric water vapour holding capacity, according to the Clausius-Clapeyron theory, also provides energy which fuels these violent storms. Thus as Climate Changes, the study hypothesize more intense storms, heavily impacting life, property and development

Changes in Climate Extremes and Their Effect on Maize (Zea mays L.) Suitability Over Southern Africa

Southern Africa has been identified as one of the hotspot areas of climate extremes increasing, at the same time many communities in the region are dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which is vulnerable to these rainfall and temperature extremes. The aim of this study is to understand changes in extreme indices during the agricultural season under climate change and how that affect the modeling of maize suitability in Southern Africa. We analyze the changes in rainfall and its extreme indices (consecutive dry days, heavy rain events and prolonged rainfall events), and temperature and its extreme indices (hot night temperatures, hot day temperatures and frequency of very hot days) from the past (1986–2014) to the future (2036–2064) and integrate these into a maize suitability model. Temperature extremes are projected to increase in both duration and intensity, particularly in the eastern parts of the region. Also, consecutive dry days are projected to increase over larger areas during the agricultural season, while rainfall will be less in sums, heavier in intensity and less prolonged in duration. Including extreme climate indices in maize suitability modeling improves the efficiency of the maize suitability model and shows more severe changes in maize suitability over Southern Africa than using season-long climatic variables. We conclude that changes in climate extremes will increase and complicate the livelihood-climate nexus in Southern Africa in the future, and therefore, a set of comprehensive adaptation options for the agricultural sector are needed. These include the use of heat, drought and high-intensity rainfall tolerant maize varieties, irrigation and/or soil water conservation techniques, and in some cases switching from maize to other crops

An empirical analysis of the co-benefits of integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Namibian energy sector

The Namibian energy sector and other energy sectors across the globe are currently in a rapid transformation era that must respond to climate change, which directly affects energy infrastructure’s resilience to the effects of resource scarcities or extreme weather conditions. The energy sector must implement adaptation to guarantee the resilience of vital infrastructure to fulfil its regulatory commitments, which cover the elements of resilience and safety. Through investigating climate change adaptation and mitigation implementation in Namibia, this study validates the existence of these co-benefits where integration is fully observed. It employed a meta-analysis and content analysis to link the observed variables to the most recognised co-benefits. The findings suggest that integration is an efficient way to generate co-benefits that contribute positively to the climate change project. Effective leadership support is one way of realising such integration, either via public-private partnership or energy policy. Namibian energy policy, it is suggested, through voluntary tools and incentives, should create key public-private partnerships and promote management. These recommendations have application beyond the Namibian energy sector, and the lessons learned here could be implemented in scenarios outside of it

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency genotypes and allele frequencies in the Kavango and Zambezi regions of northern Namibia

Background: Namibia has made significant gains in the fight against malaria, with a target of elimination by 2023. We examined the genotype and allele frequencies of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency to inform decisions on primaquine use, as we recently detected clusters of Plasmodium ovale curtisi in Kavango. Methods: A multistaged cross-sectional sampling method was used to enrol 212 children 2-9 y of age from schools and clinics in the Okavango and Zambezi regions of northern Namibia. Genotypes for the 202 G→A and 376 A→G mutations were assigned by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: Of the 212 subjects enrolled, genotypes were available for 210, made up of 61 males and 149 females. G6PD-deficient males (hemizygotes) and females (homozygotes) constituted 3.27% (2/61) and 0.0% (0/149), respectively. Female heterozygotes (AA- and BA-) constituted 10.07% (15/149), while G6PD wild-type males (with A or B haplotype) and females (with AA, BB or AB haplotypes) consisted of 96.72% (59/61) and 89.93% (134/149), respectively. The A-, A and B allele frequencies were 0.0474, 0.3036 and 0.6490, respectively. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium tests for female genotype frequencies did not show deviation (p=0.29). Conclusions: The frequency of G6PD deficiency alleles in males in the Kavango and Zambezi regions of northern Namibia constitute 3.27%, a first report to inform policy on primaquine role out