Browsing by Author "Kasino, Romanus Immanuel"
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- ItemPutting nature back in the water, energy, and food nexus : exploring opportunities to improve local livelihoods in the Kavango East Region in Namibia(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Kasino, Romanus Immanuel; Sitas, Nadia; Odirilwe, Selomane; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Many communities in the Kavango East Region of Namibia are dependent on ecosystem services for their livelihoods and wellbeing through several important relationships between ecosystem processes and people. Should these ecosystems be degraded and natural resources over-exploited, the livelihoods and wellbeing of these communities could be at risk. Traditional siloed development policies, which are often one-dimensional and non-consultative, are a major barrier for implementing interventions intended to enhance livelihoods. The lack of clean water, energy and sufficient food for many households necessitate more systems-based approaches that look for interactions and relationships between food, water, and energy systems. The livelihoods of rural communities like those in Mayana and Uvhungu-vhungu in the Kavango East Region of Namibia can benefit from interventions that put the emphasis on healthy ecosystems for ecosystem services that underpin many livelihoods for people living in the region. The main objective of this study was to explore whether a nexus approach could help to better understand critical water, energy and food interdependencies in the livelihood systems of the Kavango East Region. The study used a mixed-methods approach focussing on two villages: Mayana and Uvhungu-vhungu in the Kavango East Region of Namibia to explore food-water and energy interconnections. The mixed methods approach allowed the researcher to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The study started with a document analysis and expert workshop to develop a draft conceptual model of the social-ecological system in question. Telephonic interviews, online surveys and key informant interviews were used to collect data, and a total of thirty-two respondents took part in the study. The study applied content and thematic analysis using deductive coding to analyse major themes from interviews and descriptive statistics to summarise quantitative data from surveys. The findings from the interviews and survey were used to refine the conceptual social-ecological system model of the study sites to understand some of the key interactions and relationships. The study found that the residents of the two villages are heavily dependent on the river, fertile land, and rich biodiversity for their daily livelihoods. Respondents indicated that some of the residents in the two villages are poor and do not have formal employment. Most of the residents use contaminated water directly from the river which is often far from their homesteads. Wood is the main source of energy in the two villages but has become scarce. Major interventions in the past were mostly focused on food production and did not sufficiently enhance livelihoods, while small-scale farmers lack support. Issues of inequity were found amongst residents of the two villages in terms of distributional and recognitional equity such as lack of basic services and infrastructure, lack of vocational training, lack of financial capital, limited access to the river, roles for men and women in decision-making and ownership (land and livestock), as well as a lack of consultation in relations to interventions by the government and NGOs. The study concludes that a nexus approach could be useful for understanding how to enhance development interventions. More importantly, the role of ecosystems and nature needs to be integrated into the nexus given the fundamental role nature plays in supporting local livelihoods while making sure that the environment can support future generations. The study further concludes that it is imperative to consult the residents of the two villages before implementing any new project in future, and any intervention should consider who might benefit or be further burdened by any decision.