International Research Institutions

The CCARDESA Secretariat wishes to invite applications from qualified and competent candidates who are nationals of the SADC member countries to fill the position of Internal Auditor.

The main aim of the Conference was to have a dialogue on matters relating to climate change as it affects agriculture in Southern Africa, to share lessons and progress made. The first part of the conference dealt with presentations from a number of countries in Southern Africa on their experiences and coping mechanisms, and this was followed by a session primarily dedicated to South African experiences.

This report presents the proceedings of the Climate Proofing and CSA Training in Cape Town in October 2016.

The impact of global warming to the Namibian economy is enormous and already costs the government billions. Nevertheless the changing conditions also bear opportunities and potentials for growth, development and economic stability.

Namibia is plagued with a dry climate and poor soils, and the country’s small-scale farmers produce the lowest agricultural yields in the world. With an estimated population of around two million, Namibia has the world’s second lowest population density. As global climate change impacts become more evident, Namibia is likely to be one of the most severely affected areas.

The Community Based Adaptation (CBA) project areas were located in Northern Namibia and consisted of five regions: Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Oshana and Kavango. The majority of the community members were subsistence farmers who depended highly on rain-fed dry land crops and livestock rearing both for subsistence and income generation.

Climate change induced rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, prolonged and intensified drought and flood incidents have resulted in food and water insecurity, threatening the communities’ livelihoods, especially those of the marginalized groups within the communities: women and orphaned children from HIV/AIDS-affected families.

Namibia is the driest sub-Saharan nation and is among the countries most severely affected by climate change. This is threatening food security, particularly in Namibia’s densely populated northern region, where more than half of the country’s 2.1 million residents live. The main activity in this region is subsistence agriculture, which is primarily rainfed. Older people are often left to carry out the agricultural work, while the younger generation moves to urban areas.

Both crop production and livestock farming are characterised by low levels of productivity. In the case of crop production and the main crops of millet and corn, this is primarily due to infertile soil and unreliable rainfall patterns. Where possible, farmers apply shifting cultivation practices and periodically clear new areas. Since organic and mineral fertilisers are rarely used, soil fertility rapidly diminishes. A number of small-scale farmers irrigate their fields, but the potential for irrigated agriculture is limited; in addition, this is a very capital-intensive method.

Due to climate change, additional productivity losses are expected in the region. Crop production, in particular, is already being affected by climate change. Temperatures and rainfall variability are increasing rapidly, and droughts and floods are becoming more and more frequent. By 2050, it is anticipated that it will only be possible to practise rainfed agriculture using current methods in Kavango East and Zambezi.

Despite the crop losses that are already associated with climate change, very few small-scale farmers are applying climate-adapted cultivation methods.

Climate change preparedness workshops can be held quarterly (every three months) for members of a group wanting to explore and engage with weather patterns, climate variability and change and related possible adaptation options. We suggest limiting the workshops to a few hours (for example starting early in the morning and closing with lunch for all participants). Ensure that the process of the workshop is geared to foster reflection and learning. Including interactive exercises that help people engage in a safe space is crucial. The workshop should be designed to fit the local context and should address and explore topics that really matter to people in the group. For inspiration regarding workshop elements you can explore the exercises described in this compilation of cards and place them in an order that would make sense to the group. Ensure that you vary energizers and more contents based exercises.

A Madagascar, l’igname est une ressource alimentaire marginale mais néanmoins importante comme plante d’appoint pendant la période de soudure. Historiquement, les études botaniques sur les ignames se sont principalement axées sur les espèces sauvages. En revanche, peu d’informations existent sur les ignames cultivées notamment sur la richesse en variétés et sur les risques sanitaires. Le projet Corus 6020 (Université d’Antananarivo, Cirad) se propose maintenant d’étudier la diversité génétique des ignames cultivées et la présence des maladies virales susceptibles de réduire la production.

Local climate change and its variability pose greater risks for vulnerable, poor, and marginalized communities due to the physical impact it makes there. Since 2009, the UNDP-GEF CBA project in Namibia has been working with 12 villages that are facing a number of key problems that stemfrom extreme local climate events (e.g. pronounced droughts and floods, rising and variable temperatures, increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns and amounts, severe land degradation leading to loss of productive arable land and range, loss of livestock, as well as high levels ofdeforestation and over utilization of natural resources).

The agricultural sector in Namibia is particularly affected by climate change. Droughts and erratic rains, interspersed with floods that originate in Angola, plague the northern side of the country and leave brittle, nutrient-poor soil, which renders farm lands unproductive. This negatively affects food, water security and general livelihoods due to failed harvests, and decreases livestock numbers and products. The UNDP-GEF CBA project is working to safeguard livelihoods by encouraging target communities to improve farm gate incomes, diversify the sources of other farm-based incomes, and properly utilize farmlands. The CBA project is also working with communities to build resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change in agro-pastoral communities and to foster community participation in the identification of climate drivers, risks and adaptive solutions. The target group is comprised of the most vulnerable community members, including women and children, that depend on rain-fed agriculture (e.g. planting pearl millet, maize, sorghum, ground nuts and cowpeas), natural resources (e.g. collecting fruit and oil from the wild), and livestock rearing for both subsistence and cash incomes in the semi-arid areas of northern Namibia. The first step, and short-term objective of the project, is to enlist community participation in the vulnerability assessment and solutions-generation stage by bringing members together to identify the climate change drivers, risks and adaptive solutions. The project uses a vulnerability reduction assessment method to assist communities, through a participatory process, in determining an appropriate plan of action. This is done through cohesive social groups and trainings before piloting projects.

Zambians should take pride and start consuming more indigenous vegetables and fruits to improve their nutrition status, a nutritionist has advised.

Nelly Phiri, the Nutrition Program Officer at the Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance said local vegetables such as Chibwabwa, Impwa and Kalembula have more nutrition value than most western foods.

Zambia is one of the most malnourished countries in the world with close to 40 percent of children under five years stunted while a growing adult population is obese.

Years ago, we never used to hear of malnutrition because we used to grow our own vegetables in the backyard.

Ms. Phiri said consuming local vegetables and fruits is cheaper and beneficial for households with low incomes.

‘Most of these vegetables and fruits contain vitamins like A,D, A, K which are fat soluble vitamins and B Complex which are water soluble vitamins and these can be gotten from our local fruits such as Baobab fruit which is locally known as Masau including the Masau which also have other mineral elements which people can benefit from,’ Ms Phiri said.