An Overview Of Namibias Vulnerability To Climate Change

Author : H. Hotz
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 88 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (11 download)

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Download or read book Local-scale Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Variability and Change: a Case Study from Northern Central Namibia written by H. Hotz and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis analyzes how adaptation to climate variability and change is built endogenously by local resource users, and exogenously by a cooperation of an international donor and a community-based organization. The research is exemplified by a case study in the northern central regions of Namibia. The research area is characterized by mean annual rainfall of 450mm, with 50% inter-annual variability. Climate change projections predict a further increase in extreme rainfall events. Livelihoods in the remote village are largely subsistence-based agro-silvo-pastoralism with marginal market involvement. The concepts of local knowledge, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and adaptation and development are used to theoretically frame the analysis. Empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews on local, regional and national scale. Additional means of data gathering were participant observation and participatory community workshops. When analyzing endogenous adaptation practices, rainfall was identified as the main determinant of agricultural and livestock productivity in the area. Moderate rainfall is most favorable for local agro-silvo-pastoralists. In addition, the community is highly exposed to non-climatic stressors, in particular increasing population density. The local population perceived an earlier onset of the rainy season, and an increase in total precipitation over the past two decades. Climatic records confirm this pattern. The crop and livestock species used are highly adapted to arid conditions, but can buffer extremely low or high rainfall only to certain degree. A fundamental adaptation strategy is spreading risks to different livelihoods. Local ‘safety nets’ are furthermore composed of strong social cohesion within the community, and extended family networks beyond the village borders. Given the complex interplay of climatic and non-climatic stressors in the area, vulnerability was found to be ambiguous. There is considerable local knowledge on coping strategies and risk spreading mechanisms, however, climate change combined with non-climatic stressors can potentially devalue a part of it. Exogenous adaptation in the research area is implemented via OIKE, a communitybased organization. OIKE drafted the project proposal, whereas the donor agency guided the writing process and included their conceptual ideas on adaptation. The adaptation project focuses on technological, institutional, and educational aspects. Given the high climate variability in the area, it is extremely difficult to separate adaptation from development. OIKE perceives any development initiative – whether related to climate change or not – as contributing to reducing the vulnerability of the local community. The piloting of some of the adaptation technologies in the project is considered limited in scope, because it does not consider how these technologies can be adopted and afforded by the local community in the post-project phase. A number of synergies and tensions were identified between endogenous and exogenous adaptation. Whereas some aspects of the project build on local knowledge and practices, the integration is marginal in others. In particular the tight time frame of the project intervention was found to mismatch with local realities. This case study furthermore exemplifies the difficulties of translating global policies into local practices, and local needs and concerns into global policies. Community-based organizations were found to have major potential to act as boundary organizations that mediate between these spheres. Concerning the concept of adaptation, it is recommended to increasingly consider the complex interplay of climatic and nonclimatic stressors.