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Item Report on community perceptions on disaster management in the Caprivi Region(University of Namibia, 2012) Shaamhula, Loide; Siyambango, Nguza; Van Rooy, GertItem Socio-economic and livelihood strategies of the Ehirovipuka Conservancy, Namibia(University of Namibia, 2012) Lendelvo, Selma M.; Nakanyala, JesayaThe 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.Item Developing resilient collective identity in Doro !Nawas conservancy to sustain collective action(University of Namibia, 2012) Mosimane, Alfons W.Conservancies are faced with multiple challenges that require research to advance knowledge and understanding of collective action to manage the collective use of common pool resources (NACSO, 2010). Nkhata and Breen (2010) identified the understanding of governance systems and how these are devolved as an obstacle to the performance of CBNRM in Southern Africa. The challenging circumstances in conservancies could cause conservancy members to lose interest and committees to stop functioning (NACSO, 2010). This situation could threaten the CBNRM sector and natural resources management in Namibia. The goal of this study is to investigate the proposed collective identity framework, to understand and build a resilient collective identity in the management use of common pool resources (CPRs) in social-ecological systems. The objectives of the study are: (i) to examine the relationship between collective identity and collective action in building a resilient social-ecological system in Doro !Nawas conservancy; (ii) to investigate how the collective identity attribute identification varies over time in Doro !Nawas conservancy; how identification links conservancy members to the conservancy collective identity, and how changes in the conservancy may result in actions that are consistent or inconsistent with the conservancy’s collective identity; and (iii) to study how the collective identity attribute, affective commitment, varies over time in Doro !Nawas conservancy; how affective commitment links conservancy members to the conservancy collective identity; and how change in the conservancy may result in actions that are consistent or inconsistent with the conservancy’s collective identity. The study takes the position that the adaptive cycle model offers an approach for understanding the continuous dynamic processes inherent in collective identity and the collective action to manage the use of CPRs. Thus, the study incorporates the collective identity framework of Ashmore, Deaux, and McLaughlin-Volpe (2004) into Hollings’ adaptive cycle (2001) to provide an approach to understand change in collective identity and the implications for resilience of social-ecological systems. The methodological framework used is a case study approach. A single case study is an appropriate method for understanding complex social phenomenon like identification and affective commitment within its context (Yin, 2004). In this study, Doro !Nawas conservancy is selected as a representative or typical case of the 59 registered conservancies in Namibia. The lessons from Doro !Nawas conservancy are informative about changes in conservancy collective identity in other conservancies, but cannot be generalized. The study interviewed 47 conservancy and committee members, and nine non-governmental and governmental respondents. In the formation phase of the conservancy collective identity in Doro !Nawas conservancy, the existing collective action of Versteendewoud Farmers Association used the notion of potential benefits for conservancy members and the process of establishing governance systems in accordance with the legislation to develop identification and affective commitment to the conservancy collective identity. The lesson from this study is that the consultation and information sharing process in the formation stage with community members is an important phase that needs nurturing over time. Establishing a stronger relationship between community members, conservancy collective identity and the conservancy in the formation phase of the conservancy collective identity is essential for future stability in the conservancy. In accordance with the adaptive cycle, during the growth of conservancy collective identity phase, Doro !Nawas conservancy members had strong identification and affective commitment to the conservancy collective identity. The conservancy management committee members planned, implemented and managed conservancy activities according to the constitution. This translated the interests of the conservancy members into the conservancy’s collective identity. This was put into actions of participation in meetings and other activities. Simultaneously, conservancy members expressed positive emotions and developed a sense of belonging to and ownership of the conservancy which consolidated affective commitment to the conservancy. Growing wealth in conservancies to deliver more benefits to members is dependent on consolidating conservancy collective identity, to develop a stable natural resource base which offers an appealing product that attracts investors. In the collapse phase of the adaptive cycle identification with the conservancy collective identity is strong but the affective commitment is lost. The case of Doro !Nawas shows that management of the conservancy and the governance system contributed to lost affective commitment. The conservancy management committee was not managing the conservancy in the interests of conservancy members and in accordance with the constitution. And, the governance system was not appropriate to guide the conservancy management committee in the administration of the conservancy. The delay in intervention influenced affective commitment of conservancy members to the conservancy collective identity and the conservancy. The lessons from Doro !Nawas conservancy indicate the absence of a clear process to deal with a collapse in the conservancy could threaten the conservancy collective identity. Equally, there was no delineation of responsibilities from the policy perspectives as to who should intervene and give direction. The policy implication from the Doro !Nawas is that structures and processes need to be developed to address similar situations while they emerge so as to avoid large scale negative influences on conservancy member relationship with the conservancy collective identity. In the reconstruction phase of the conservancy collective identity, identification with the conservancy weakened and the conservancy identity had the potential to transform into a completely new identity. Doro !Nawas conservancy members’ identification declined when their dissatisfaction with the conservancy management committee was not addressed over a lengthy period of time. The lesson is that delay in intervention created potential for conservancy members to consider de-gazetting of the conservancy and establishing a new conservancy or a completely new collective action. In the case of Doro !Nawas the conservancy collective identity proved to be resilient enough to reorganize, amidst challenges of breakaway to establish a new conservancy. The study assumption for resilience of the conservancy collective identity is because the conservancy has a strong resource base with the potential to deliver the benefits conservancy members’ desire. This implies that were the wildlife resource base poor, as in the new conservancies, the chances are very high that the conservancy collective identity would be replaced by a completely new identity. The study concludes that the conceptual framework illustrated how conservancy collective identity resilience could be developed based on identification and affective commitment. Based on these two variables, members of the conservancy could either change or stabilize the conservancy collective identity.