Papers by Alfons Wabahe Mosimane
Self-administered questionnaires 3.3.3 Documentary data 3.4 Data Analysis 3.5 Limitations of the ... more Self-administered questionnaires 3.3.3 Documentary data 3.4 Data Analysis 3.5 Limitations of the study 21 v 3.6 Conclusion 22 CHAPTER 4: LITERATURE REVIEW 23 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Methodological Fran1ework 23 4.3 Local Knowledge 26 4.4 Development 28 4.3 Local Institutions 31 4.6 Land Use 33 4.6.1 Local people 33 4.6.2 Natural Resources 34 4.6.3 Crop farmers and Soil classification 35 4.6.4 Livestock farming 36 4.7 Conclusion 37 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH FINDINGS 38 5.1 Introduction 38 5.2 Governmental and Non-Goven1mental Organisations'"Approach to Communities and Local knowledge 38 5.3 Local Institutions 44 5.4 Land Use 49 5.5 Wildlife and Eco-tourism 53 5.6 Conclusion 55 CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IN DEVELOPMENT IN
Journal of Sustainable Development, Sep 27, 2016
Challenges of water supply in informal settlements have been observed in different parts of the w... more Challenges of water supply in informal settlements have been observed in different parts of the world. This study evaluates accessibility to water in the Kuvukiland informal settlement. The study employed two methods: a semi structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 50 respondents in the Kuvukiland informal settlement, and the in-depth interviews were carried out with five key informants. The findings suggest that access to water in informal settlements is a challenge, because more than half of the population in Kuvukiland live more than a kilometre from the water points. Further findings also show that affordability is a critical issue, because the more than half of the population are unemployed, and as a result they cannot afford to pay for water. Finally the findings are that, water supply in Kuvukiland does not follow an integrated water resource management approach. In addition, there is poor community involvement, and stakeholder participation is weak.
Self-administered questionnaires 3.3.3 Documentary data 3.4 Data Analysis 3.5 Limitations of the ... more Self-administered questionnaires 3.3.3 Documentary data 3.4 Data Analysis 3.5 Limitations of the study 21 v 3.6 Conclusion 22 CHAPTER 4: LITERATURE REVIEW 23 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Methodological Fran1ework 23 4.3 Local Knowledge 26 4.4 Development 28 4.3 Local Institutions 31 4.6 Land Use 33 4.6.1 Local people 33 4.6.2 Natural Resources 34 4.6.3 Crop farmers and Soil classification 35 4.6.4 Livestock farming 36 4.7 Conclusion 37 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH FINDINGS 38 5.1 Introduction 38 5.2 Governmental and Non-Goven1mental Organisations'"Approach to Communities and Local knowledge 38 5.3 Local Institutions 44 5.4 Land Use 49 5.5 Wildlife and Eco-tourism 53 5.6 Conclusion 55 CHAPTER 6: THE ROLE OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IN DEVELOPMENT IN
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Apr 17, 2018
This paper examined livelihood activities and skill sets available within rural households in the... more This paper examined livelihood activities and skill sets available within rural households in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. Specifically, the study addressed three key questions: (i) what livelihood activities do rural people pursue? (ii) what demographic factors are associated with these activities? and (iii) what measures can be taken to diversify and sustain income from these livelihood activities? In order to address these questions, semistructured interviews covering 424 households were used to collect the data. The questionnaire consisted of questions corresponding to the sustainable livelihood framework including (1) human assets (2) financial assets and major sources of income (3) physical and natural assets and (4) social assets. A series of logistic regressions were fitted from which the estimated odds ratios (y) were derived to ascertain the effect of the predictors on the livelihood activities and skills. Odds ratios were used to measure the magnitude of strength of association or non-independence between binary data values. The results showed that the use of various livelihood activities and skills in different combinations is of significant importance to rural livelihoods. Five percent of the respondents obtained income from only one source, with 95 % of the respondents engaged in a combination of farming and non-farming activities. Most of the respondents had various reasons for diversifying into other activities visa -vis agricultural income, limited skills, large family size, availability of opportunities, seasonal nature of agricultural produce, favourable demand for goods and services or a combination of these. In addition, the results showed that gender, age, designation and education significantly (p<0.05) influenced the choice of household's skills. The study concludes that a combination of rural household activities and skills influenced by a variety of factors have led to improved livelihoods in the study area. For policy purposes, this suggests that state interventions in rural livelihood skill development can play a significant role in promoting more sustainable rural livelihoods.
Namibian Journal for Research, Science and Technology
Conservation and community development are increasingly understood to require sustained collectiv... more Conservation and community development are increasingly understood to require sustained collective action. This study postulates collective action and collective identity as necessary but vulnerable in the management of Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) institutions. The study uses purposive and snowball sampling to select key informants interviews and documentary analysis to augment the comprehensiveness. Conservancy members (47) and individuals from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government (9) with experience and knowledge of the conservancy were interviewed. The study adopted a thematic analysis approach with deductive analysis to interrogate the data. The adaptation framework based on the identification and affective commitment was used to organise and present the findings. The findings reveal the casual factors and excerpts that best described how respondents articulated change and stability in the identification and affective commitment. The pape...
Cheetahs: Biology and Conservation, 2018
Human livelihoods have shifted from dependency on the lands’ natural resources to exploitation of... more Human livelihoods have shifted from dependency on the lands’ natural resources to exploitation of resources through increased human populations and intensive farming. Particularly in rural communities, the link between biodiversity and traditional livelihoods was rooted in cultural values that have now been largely lost. Land-use changes often cause increased conflict between wildlife and humans, negatively affecting both human livelihoods and existence of predators, such as the cheetah. Improved and alternative livelihood programs have been instigated by cheetah conservation organizations, with the aim to alleviate poverty, in turn strengthening the links between human livelihood and natural resource management, to increase biodiversity and encourage coexistence with predators. Programs are often small-scale but require innovative businesses planning, implementation, and monitoring to ensure long-term success.
Water scarcity is a major problem for Namibia and South Africa as both countries are classified a... more Water scarcity is a major problem for Namibia and South Africa as both countries are classified as “water stressed”, based on their per capita water availability which is below the threshold of 1,000-1,666 m·person·year. Water provision in both countries has traditionally relied on supply-side sources, and the potential for expansion is becoming dim, making efforts towards demand management approaches more feasible. Findings show that CBM (community based management) systems of water points offer an alternative in terms of ownership and self-reliance based on institutional arrangements at community level. However, the CBM system involves some forms of payment for water access, and affordability has become a main challenge, to the extent that some governments are considering the reintroduction of water subsidies for poor rural communities in the near future.
Current Biology, 2021
High-level policy debates surrounding elephant management often dominate global conservation head... more High-level policy debates surrounding elephant management often dominate global conservation headlines, yet realities for people living with wildlife are not adequately incorporated into policymaking or evident in related discourse.1,2 Human health and livelihoods can be severely impacted by wildlife and indirectly by policy outcomes.3 In landscapes where growing human and elephant (Loxodonta spp. and Elephas maximus) populations compete over limited resources, human-elephant conflict causes crop loss, human injury and death, and retaliatory killing of wildlife.4-6 Across Africa, these problems may be increasingly compounded by climate change, which intensifies resource competition and food insecurity.6-9 Here, we examine how human-wildlife impacts interact with climate change and household food insecurity across the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the world's largest terrestrial transboundary conservation area, spanning five African nations. We use hierarchical Bayesian statistical models to analyze multi-country household data together with longitudinal satellite-based climate measures relevant to rainfed agriculture. We find that crop depredation by wildlife, primarily elephants, impacts 58% of sampled households annually and is associated with significant increases in food insecurity. These wildlife impacts compound effects of changing climate on food insecurity, most notably observed as a 5-day shortening of the rainy season per 10 years across the data record (1981-2018). To advance sustainability goals, global conservation policy must better integrate empirical evidence on the challenges of human-wildlife coexistence into longer term strategies at transboundary scales, specifically in the context of climate change.3,9-11.
Tourism is one of the rapidly growing industries in the world. The development of this sector has... more Tourism is one of the rapidly growing industries in the world. The development of this sector has become a strategy for poverty alleviation and economic development for developed and developing countries. Community contributions and knowledge of tourism play a significant role in the development of tourism. This paper assesses community understanding and perceptions of tourism development in the King Nehale Conservancy. The study used both interviews guides and semi-structured questionnaires for data collection. Microsoft Excel was used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The findings suggest that local people in the King Nehale Conservancy do not understand tourism development. Majority of the respondents are not involved in tourism activities except those who are in the conservancy and thus have negative perceptions of tourism development. Craft making/selling was found to be the essential tourism-related activity of the conservancy.
Humanities and social sciences, 2016
Tourism is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the world and its development is ... more Tourism is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the world and its development is a major concern for developing countries. Its growth carries with it both negative and positive impacts on the local economy and the people of those countries where tourism is a significant sector. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the socio-economic influence of tourism businesses on the community of Nau-Aib in Okahandja, using Edward’s (2005) socio-economic indicators. The results of a socio-economic impact assessment can inform a community about the wide scope of tourism impacts on their social and economic wellbeing. The study area of this research was Nau-Aib, one of the biggest locations in Okahandja. Face to face interviews were conducted with 40 respondents residing in Nau-Aib. Tourism businesses, such as the arts and crafts market in Okahandja, and hospitality businesses situated in the vicinity of Nau-Aib, were the focus for this study, as these businesses often engage in...
The Journal of Environment & Development, 2012
Using a survey of communal conservancies in Namibia, we find that they provide some direct econom... more Using a survey of communal conservancies in Namibia, we find that they provide some direct economic benefits to conservancy members, but that indirect benefits promoting development for all residents have not materialized. This partially explains why a high level of discontent with community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) as a development strategy remains, which would need to be addressed with policies that promote a more equitable distribution of benefits from CBNRM. Advocates of CBNRM draw on theories of comparative advantage and collective action to argue that communal conservation efforts enhance the viability of nature tourism as a rural development strategy. We employ a mixed-methods approach to test to what extent CBNRM generates direct and indirect economic benefits, and if these benefits induce participation in communal conservation.
Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) Policy Brief No, 2006
Despite its appeal and convenience, the term 'community'is a collective cliché that oft... more Despite its appeal and convenience, the term 'community'is a collective cliché that often masks ambiguities of membership and identity in people-centred natural resource management in southern Africa. Defining membership in people-centred approaches to natural resource management is easier said than done. This brief is presented as a problematic, posing more questions than it provides answers. We acknowledge that the range of perspectives presented here and the nomenclature used to describe them are by ...
Information Development, 2010
The San are among the most marginalized people in Namibia. The San have often relied on indigenou... more The San are among the most marginalized people in Namibia. The San have often relied on indigenous knowledge for survival, particularly since access to resources has proved to be difficult. This study explores the use of indigenous knowledge by a particular San community living on Farm Six, located in the Mangetti West area north of Tsumeb. In particular, the study focuses on the use of indigenous knowledge with regard to traditional medicine. Apart from considerations of the commercial and legal issues concerning the exploitation of the devil’s claw and hoodia plant, little has been published about the medicinal properties of San remedies. The findings indicate that the community relies on indigenous knowledge as their main means of treating most illnesses. While the community believes traditional remedies are effective in treating several conditions, they have also turned to herbal treatments because of a lack of access to modern health care: the nearest clinic is over 50 km away,...
Ecology and Society, 2012
This study explores and interprets relevant literature to construct a typology of benefit sharing... more This study explores and interprets relevant literature to construct a typology of benefit sharing arrangements for the governance of social-ecological systems in developing countries. The typology comprises three generic categories of benefit sharing arrangements: collaborative, market-oriented, and egalitarian. We contend that the three categories provide a useful basis for exploring and classifying the different societal arrangements required for governance of social-ecological systems. The typology we present is founded on a related set of explicit assumptions that can be used to explore and better understand the linkages among ecosystem services, benefit sharing, and governance. Issues that are strongly related to sustainability in developing countries form the core basis of our assumptions. Our aim is not to write a definitive exposition, but to spark debate and engage ongoing dialogue on governance and benefit sharing in the field of social-ecological systems.
Oryx, 2013
Human–wildlife conflicts occur within the context of a complex social–ecological system influence... more Human–wildlife conflicts occur within the context of a complex social–ecological system influenced by a wide variety of social, economic and political forces. Management responses to human–wildlife conflict are based on certain assumptions and perceptions that form the mental models of this system. Understanding these mental models provides opportunity for various stakeholders to engage management staff based on shared components and direct attention to areas of disagreement, and involve organizations that are normally considered to be outside the domain of human–wildlife conflict. Mind mapping was used in this study to identify mental models that people hold about human–wildlife conflict in Namibia, a country that has seen rapid increases in conflict, and to describe the principal factors and variables leading to such conflict. The results indicate that mind mapping is a useful tool for uncovering mental models of conflict and can reveal significant variables in reduction of confli...
frica CASS/PLAAS occasional paper series 14 Commons Exclusion through defined membership in peopl... more frica CASS/PLAAS occasional paper series 14 Commons Exclusion through defined membership in people centred natural resources management: Who defines?
Journal of Sustainable Development, 2015
The provision of socioeconomic benefits to community members is a key component in the design and... more The provision of socioeconomic benefits to community members is a key component in the design and implementation of community based natural resources management (CBNRM) initiatives in rural areas. Namibian CBNRM legislation requires that the local governance systems develop a benefit sharing plan (MET, 1995). Local governance systems that are developed within CBNRM programs determine the types and amounts of benefits that community members receive. This paper investigates the role of local governance in establishing benefit-sharing mechanisms and whether local governance facilitates or impedes the equitable distribution of benefits. We also examine whether community characteristics often highlighted in community based conservation literature as facilitating decision making in CBNRM (i.e., size of community, level of community homogeneity, and existence of shared norms) contribute to better local governance for benefit sharing. We use two case studies in Namibia to examine local governance and benefit sharing (Uibasen conservancy in Kunene region and Mayuni conservancy in Caprivi region). We draw on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with conservancy residents conducted in 2011. The findings of the study suggest local governance institutions in conservancies have not developed adequate benefit-sharing systems, and the expectations of conservancy members are largely based on speculation about what they should receive stemming from unclear guidelines regarding realistically deliverable benefits. We find that community characteristics have little impact on local governance outcomes with regards to benefit-sharing systems. This suggests that local governance structures need more external support and oversight in designing and implementing methods for distributing benefits to community members. We argue that fairness and equitable sharing of benefits can only be achieved when it is an explicit objective of the benefit-sharing systems used by local governance structures and involves transparency.
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Papers by Alfons Wabahe Mosimane