Issue 1 (JSHSS Vol. 8)

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http://hdl.handle.net/11070/2609

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Browsing Issue 1 (JSHSS Vol. 8) by Author "Shikangalah, Rosemary N."

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    An analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions on urban water erosion in Windhoek, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2019) Shikangalah, Rosemary N.; Paton, Eva N.; Jeltsch, Florian
    This study aimed at understanding the perceptions of stakeholders on urban water erosion in a dryland city - Windhoek (Namibia) - by interviewing 41 stakeholders using semi-structured questionnaires. Stakeholders’ perceptions were analysed by addressing their understanding of water erosion dynamics, their perceptions with regards to the causes and the seriousness of erosion damages, and their attitudes towards the responsibilities of urban erosion prevention and damages. The results indicated that there is less awareness of the process as a phenomenon; instead there is more awareness of erosion damages and the factors contributing to the damages. About 69% of the stakeholders considered erosion damages to be ranging from moderate to very serious. However, there were notable disparities between the private householders and public authority groups. The private householders and local authority sectors pointed fingers at each other as regards responsibility for erosion damage payments and for putting up prevention measures. The reluctance to take responsibility could undermine any effort to minimise erosion in urban areas and create a predicament for areas affected, especially in the informal settlements where land management is not carried out by the local authority and land is not owned by the occupants.
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    Gendered attitudes toward climate change among geography students at University Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2019) Shikangalah, Rosemary N.
    Students are considered to be a key to dealing with climate change. Their knowledge influences their attitudes, which affects their actions. The degree to which students are likely to engage with climate change depends on their attitude towards climate change. This study investigated gendered attitudes towards climate change of geography students at the University of Namibia. Using a 14-item questionnaire, a total of 56 male and 64 female students from the University of Namibia were surveyed. The results show that students have a generally positive attitude towards climate change. There is, however, a slight difference in the gendered attitudes with regards to the concern over the occurrence of climate change; on how well they think they are informed; who should be responsible for fixing climate change; and whether or not the students felt personally responsible for the occurrence of the phenomenon. It is recommended that the education system be purposely designed to influence students’ attitude for better future decision making in relation to climate change because a person’s attitude forms a fundamental framework for a meaningful way of thinking.