Life Science Division (LSD)

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Browsing Life Science Division (LSD) by Author "Lendelvo, Selma M."

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    The economic viability of emerging commercial farmers under the resettlement programme
    (2020) Lendelvo, Selma M.; Shapi, Martin K.; Mapaure, Clever
    Land reform programmes have been embarked upon by some African governments to address land inequalities after gaining independence from their colonial masters. Land redistribution to the land poor and from large-scale farmers to small-scale farmers is thus robust, both theoretically and empirically. The Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN) committed to addressing the skewed land ownership that prevailed for over a century in the country by introducing land reform programmes after independence. The National Resettlement Policy, the Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act (No. 6 of 1995) and the Communal Land Reform Act (No. 5 of 2002) are the key instruments that guide land reform in the country, particularly concerning the acquisition of farmland for redistribution purposes. Secure land tenure is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the socioeconomic development of any society. Historically, many Namibian people were dispossessed of their land to pave the way for the establishment of largescale commercial farms with freehold title for settlers. This practice resulted in many Namibians being confined to small-scale communal subsistence farming characterised by low returns and insecure land rights. The land redistribution programmes aimed at ensuring fair land distribution among all Namibians and the integration of previously disadvantaged Namibians into the mainstream of the country’s economy. The Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) provides subsidised loans to previously disadvantaged Namibians enabling them to 36 • “Neither here nor there”: Indigeneity, marginalisation and land rights in post-independence Namibia acquire commercial farms and engage in large-scale farming, while the National Resettlement Programme (NRP) targets small-scale commercial farmers. While recognising that secure land rights are not the panacea for all shortcomings in agricultural productivity, this paper seeks to document factors influencing the economic viability of the resettlement programme in Namibia. This is done by analysing the ability of leasehold agreements granted to resettlement beneficiaries by the Ministry of Land Reform (MLR) to attract investment and subsequently trigger agricultural productivity, as well as by establishing other promoters contributing to this throughput. It is found that there has been improved productivity at the resettlement farms, but that there is still a lot of room for improvement. The current interventions by the stakeholders involved in land reform therefore have to be buttressed by more innovative efforts and also by the cooperation of the farmers
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    A perfect storm? The impact of COVID-19 on community-based conservation in Namibia
    (Namibian Journal of Environment, 2020) Lendelvo, Selma M.
    We report on a rapid survey of five communal-area conservancies in Namibia to understand initial impacts on community-based conservation of national and international policies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Namibia’s Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) programme has been growing for over 30 years, with high economic reliance on tourism and conservation hunting. We review the interrelationships between COVID-19, CBNRM, tourism and hunting, and discuss our findings under eight interlocking themes: 1) disruption to management and regular operational processes of conservancies, including 2) effects on conservancy wildlife patrolling and monitoring; 3) losses of revenue and cash flow in conservancy business operations; 4) impacts on Joint-Venture Partnerships; 5) impacts on employment opportunities and local livelihoods; 6) effects on community development projects and social benefits, including 7) disruption to funded projects and programmes; and 8) lack of technical capacity regarding communication technologies and equipment. In our conclusion we discuss tensions between an assumption that normal business can or will be resumed, and calls for the COVID-19 pandemic to create an opportunity for global choices away from ‘business-as-normal’. It is too early to tell what mix of these perspectives will unfold. What is clear is that communal-area conservancies must derive benefits from conservation activities in their areas that are commensurate with their role as key actors in the conservation of Namibia’s valuable wildlife and landscapes.
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    Socio-economic and livelihood strategies of the Ehirovipuka Conservancy, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2012) Lendelvo, Selma M.; Nakanyala, Jesaya
    The Conservancy, a Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) approach, implemented in the rural areas in Namibia was identified as the focus of this study. A Conservancy is an organised group of farmers living within a common boundary area and related cultural background, as well as sharing the same resources for their livelihoods (Sullivan, 2002). Namibian rural areas have undergone changes in terms of social structures and the use of the environment. The livelihood strategies of people have been changing over time due to changes in the resources base and accessibility. This case study focuses on the Ehirovipuka communal Conservancy, which is located in the north-western part of the Namibia and directly bordering Etosha National Park. The north-western part is regarded as the richest region for wildlife species in the country. The objective of this study was to examine changes in livelihoods in order to enhance understanding the perception of the community on the linkages between the natural resources base and the livelihood strategies in the area. This study employed both the household questionnaire survey and focused group discussions. A total of 111 households from 10 villages were randomly interviewed for the survey. In addition, six focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in the two main settlements of the Conservancy, namely, Otjokavare and Onguta. The findings of the study showed that the Conservancy is characterised by a high dependency ratio 100% or 1:1. This ratio is high because the number of the dependent age (50.3%) is almost equal the number of independent age group (49.7%). In addition to this, the Conservancy is dominated by low level of education and a high unemployment rate. Most members of the independent age group (economically active) (60%) also indicated to be neither working nor looking for employment. Also, the majority of the household members have either not attended any formal education (44%) or have not completed primary education (48%). The households from this conservancy are engaged in various livelihood activities. These livelihood activities have been maintained over the years, although some have changed in order of importance. Livestock farming, mainly for own use purposes, emerged as the most important livelihood activity, followed by formal employment and old age pension grants. Most of the income generating livelihood strategies only became important during the 1980s, which suggests the shifting of the rural community to respond to the national cash economy lifestyle. Three factors that maintained the livelihoods activities in the Ehirovipuka Conservancy emerged as access through strong social relations, diversification of livelihood activities and the emergence of the community level support institutions such as the Conservancy. In conclusion, the Conservancy is perceived as community level support that contributes to the improvement of natural resources which most livelihood activities depend on, hence, leading to the resilience of most livelihood activities. The study recommended the following: (i) Although owning large herds of cattle is a cultural practice, there is a need to find ways to address this practice because it may lead to subsequent land degradation in the area, hence affecting the main livelihood activity of the area; (ii) Development of monitoring mechanisms for vegetation resources and landscapes is required to allow community leaders to make informed decisions; (ii) Community members need to practise mechanisms that are important in reducing human wildlife conflict such as herding, kraaling the livestock at night and others known to them as wildlife in their communities will continue to increase due to good management practices put in place by the conservancy; (iv) Social cohesion among conservancy members should be promoted as this could be crucial to reduce vulnerability among poor households; (v) Employment creation through tourism initiatives in the conservancy could help in tackle the need for employment among those economically active members of the community; and (vi) There is a need for further research to understand the implementation of the conservancy activities and its contribution to sustainable development.