Browsing by Author "Siyambango, Nguza"

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    Disaster risk reduction in the Omusati and Oshana regions of Namibia
    (2013) Amadhila, Elina; Shaamhula, Loide; Van Rooy, Gert; Siyambango, Nguza
    Namibia often experiences heavy rains in the north and north-eastern parts of the country, which results in severe flooding. For this reason, the country has endorsed the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) which seeks to develop the resilience of nations and communities to disasters and to assist countries to move away from the approach of emergency response to one of integrated disaster risk reduction. The aim of this article is to assess the resilience of the communities within the identified regions. A quantitative questionnaire was designed to assess people at risk of disaster related impacts. The questionnaire used 20 indicators to measure the level of progress at local level and how local governance plays a role in the mitigation and management of disasters. Analysis of data was done on a limited number of descriptors such as age, gender and local governance involvement, amongst others. There was generally a very high perception of threat (38%) in the study regions. Women perceived threat more accurately (mean = 4.09) than men. The community perceived threat more accurately than local government and civil society (mean = 4.08).
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    Indigenous knowledge and climate change in rural Namibia: A gendered approach
    (University of Namibia Press, 2015) Siyambango, Nguza; Kanyimba, Alex T.; Mufune, Pempelani
    Since 1972, robust literature about the need for men and women to respond to the impacts of climate change has emerged. The international response to climate change is embodied in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC that was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 has been in force since 1994. The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to: ‘... achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the climate system within a timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.’ (UNFCCC cited in Kyoto 2, 2008.) The strategies envisaged by both scientists and politicians are based on the combination of adaptation, mitigation and use of indigenous knowledge (MET, 2011a, 2011b & 2011c). Mitigation, adaption and integration of indigenous knowledge require both men and women to participate equally in decisions pertaining to adjusting ecological, social or economic systems in response to observed climate change, and a process of curtailing greenhouse gas emissions and other anthropogenic interventions. However, traditional configuration of gender roles means that women and men have multiple responsibilities in the home, at the workplace and in the community.
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    The integration of an effective disaster risk reduction system in Namibia based on vulnerabilities of stakeholders in the Zambezi region
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Kanyimba, Alex T.; Siyambango, Nguza
    Namibia has structures in place for disaster risk reduction. However, the need to mainstream the disaster risk reduction policy at all levels has been emphasised in the literature. The aim of this article is to present opportunities for the integration of effective disaster risk reduction in Namibia based on vulnerabilities of stakeholders in the Zambezi region. The data was collected by quantitative and visual research methods. The quantitative data was evaluated by means of the statistical package for social sciences and the visual data by semiotic analysis. In the opinion of members of civil society, the community and local government agencies, flooding is on the increase and losses in assets have been experienced. The Namibian disaster reduction system consequently faces a challenge. This study recommends an approach that is holistic, society that can act together in reducing disaster risks and facilitate community coalitions
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    Perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for climate change adaptation in Namibia
    (2018) Taapopi, M.; Kamwi, Jonathan M.; Siyambango, Nguza
    Traditional cultivation methods in Namibia are characterised by cultivating the same type of crops persistently on the same piece of land, using a disc or mouldboard plough with minimal to no fertilizer application. This study assessed the knowledge level of farmers’ on conservation agriculture and the household factors, which influence farmers to take up conservation agriculture in the Omusati Region of Namibia. Both socioeconomic and biophysical data were collected through household face-to-face interviews from 40 households located in seven constituencies of the Omusati Region. The results showed that technological know-how, limited agricultural inputs and implements for conservation agriculture hindered the uptake of conservation agriculture. In addition, lack of crop residues for mulching purposes and little understanding of the importance of crop rotation were identified as barriers to practice conservation agriculture. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, marital status, education level, crop field size and farming period did not significantly influence the adoption of conservation agriculture. The study indicates that there is a need to encourage the use of climate smart agriculture technologies such as conservation agriculture, which minimizes the negative impacts of dry spells in order to maximize crop production and increase farmers’ understanding on the principles of conservation agriculture. Thus, strategies and policies to reduce poverty need to consider local contexts, social norms and values. In this regard, engagement of local farmers and demonstration of the short and long-term benefits of conservation agricultural practices offer promising entry points.
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    Report on community perceptions on disaster management in the Caprivi Region
    (University of Namibia, 2012) Shaamhula, Loide; Siyambango, Nguza; Van Rooy, Gert