International Research Institutions

This is a presentation by DR KABELO SENYATSO  during the Dry Season Management workshop in gaborone. The presentation hignlights experiences from ongoing UNDP/GEF-funded projects in Botswana

This is a presentation by Prof C. M. Tsopito during the Dry season management workshop in Gaborone Botswana. The presentation covers definitions of dry season and management. It goes on to explain animal nutrition and health issues during drying season and explains in detail how to manage different challenges.

This brochure gives a short overview of the Maize lethal necrosis disease and provides the most important information on it.

A study was conducted to determine the influence of climate variability on livestock population dynamics in Kgalagadi district. Data on NAO, ENSO and SSTs indices were regressed and correlated against regional rainfall for kgalagadi region and livestock populations. Regional rainfall data was also related to livestock population dynamics. The results suggested that NAO, ENSO and SSTs were not good predictors of regional rainfall variability and livestock population dynamics (P > 0.05). The regional rainfall was highly variable and accounted for fluctuations on cattle and goat populations (P < 0.05) but not sheep population. Goat population appeared more sensitive to rainfall variability than other livestock species. Cattle death rate was also strongly influenced by rainfall variability whereas other livestock performance indicators were not significantly accounted for by rainfall variability. The results suggest that management need to be improved to buffer impact of climate variability on livestock population.

The eastern communal conservancies are situated along the western fringe of the Kalahari basin. Under a very short rainfall gradient, the vegetation abruptly changes from microphyllous Acacia-dominated savannas to mesophyll savannas, dominated by Terminalia sericea and Combretum spp. We hypothesise that this is caused by changes in soil moisture availability brought about by changes in soil texture from loamy soils to deep sands (the ‘inverse texture effect’). For this analysis, we used vegetation and soils data derived from a recognisance survey of the natural resources of the study area. As the sites in the soil and vegetation surveys did not overlap, it was decided to use only synoptic data for the plant associations in the analysis. Non-metric multidimesional scaling ordination was utilised as ordination technique of the vegetation data and various environmental parameters, including soil texture, soil hydraulic parameters, climatic and fire regime parameters, were overlaid as biplots onto the resulting graph, as were various plant functional attributes particularly related to climatic conditions. The main environmental gradient identified within the study area is the rainfall gradient. This relatively short gradient, however, does not explain the marked change in vegetation observed within the study area. This change is attributed to the change in soil type, in particular, the soil texture and the associated soil hydraulic parameters of the soil. This gradient is closely correlated to leaf size, explaining the change from microphyll savannas to mesophyll savannas along the change from loamy to sandy soils. One of the lesser understood mechanisms for the survival of these mesophyll plants on sandy soils seems to be a deep root system, which is actively involved in water redistribution within the soil profile – by hydraulic lift, inverse hydraulic lift and stem flow.

North-central Namibia is more vulnerable to effects of climate change and variability. Combined effects of environmental degradation, social vulnerability to poverty and a changing climate will compromise subsistence farming in north-central Namibia (NCN). This will make subsistence and small-scale farmers in the region more vulnerable to projected changes in the climate system. Thus, the aim of this article was to examine factors contributing to subsistence farmers’ vulnerability to impacts of climate change. The article further discusses different aspects of human vulnerability and existing adaptation strategies in response to impacts of climate related disasters experienced over the past three to four decades in NCN. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches and methodology were employed to obtain information from subsistence farmers in north-central Namibia. The socio-demographic characteristics of Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati Region reveals high levels of unemployment, high adult and elderly population and high dependency on agricultural livelihood system. These indicators help understand levels of household vulnerability. The study concludes that households interviewed revealed low levels of adaptive capacity due to exposure to climate risks and combined effects of social, political and cultural factors. This article provided an understanding that is required to inform the adaptation pathways relevant for NCN.

The purpose of this study was to undertake an empirical investigation of adaptation “good practices” and define six categories of actions that can be practically considered by governments for scaling-up in order to reduce the risks of climate change.

The focus is on what needs to be in place, in terms of the enabling environment, in order for the good practices to be effectively transferred to other contexts. The report thus intends to provide governments with practical options to consider in order to undertake agricultural adaptation to climate change, based on tangible and proven practices.

Six case study countries were chosen for empirical investigation of adaptation. Within Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa, Togo and Zambia, agricultural subsectors were chosen to represent various crops and livestock grown under different production systems. The purpose was to ensure that subsectors were investigated in more than one country so that there would be scope to compare different contexts. Categories considered for each adaptation practice were: proof of concept; robustness under projected climate change; environmental and social externalities; acceptability to farmers; accessibility to farmers; productivity; access to markets; support of appropriate institutions; level of government support; effects on women; and then a criteria to capture co-benefits, such as mitigation, biodiversity conservation, or multiple production objectives.

As a result the following six good practice categories are: use of improved seeds; soil fertility management; changing timing of farming practice; changing crop/livestock distribution and density; tillage and associated practices; and diversification.

These advanced training materials have been produced to foster the capacity of practitioners from private, nongovernmental and public sectors on one hand, and academics and scientists on the other, to practically implement cost-efficient RWHI technologies and practices in arid and semi-arid areas.

Therefore, these training materials intend to provide the required information to support proper planning, design and construction of cost-efficient RWHI technologies and practices, with special emphasis on the specific problems encountered in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Further, this manual also suggests relevant technical manuals which specifically focus on each of the RWHI technologies and practices. It is strongly recommended that reference is also made on this additional materials with help from experienced professionals in this field of knowledge.

This study has been produced with the overall goal to document and analyse exisiting best practices in the field of RWHI management in sub-Saharan Africa, with a special focus on Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is meant to determine the suitability of RWHI management under multivariate biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. The best practices include specific information and know-how on the performance, cost-efficiency and impacts of RWHI technologies. This information and know-how intends to contribute on the capitalisation of successful and unsuccessful experiences in the field of RWHI management in order to identify best practices which can then be replicated, adapted, improved and scaled-up, leading to greater impacts and benefits on one hand, and effective policies and investments on the other.

This report is part of the AFRHINET project under the ACP-EU Cooperation Programme in Science and Technology (S&T II). The overall aims of the project are to enhance options for sustainable integration of rainwater harvesting for irrigation through understanding adoption constraints and developing networks for capacity building and technology transfer.

The main goal of the baseline study was to conduct a capacity and technology transfer assessment in the field of rainwater harvesting for irrigation management. The national baseline studies were conducted through an extensive literature review, in-depth key informant interviews with representatives of stakeholder institutions and experts in the field of rainwater harvesting management and small-scale irrigation. Relevant information was also collected in the field and during national multi-stakeholder workshops, where information and experiences of relevant stakeholders was shared.