A proactive disaster risk reduction framework for recurring Efundja in the rural Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Northern Namibia
Date
2021-12
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Cuvelai-Etosha basin is associated with the Efundja, the annual flooding of the basin that
results from a combination of local rainfall and water flowing from Angola through the Cuvelai
drainage system and spreading across the flat plains of Namibia. This frequently occurring hazard
affects the large population of the rural Cuvelai-Etosha basin by destroying their livelihoods,
prohibiting their movements and influencing all aspects of their lives. During extreme Efundja events,
the inhabitants of the Cuvelai-Etosha basin are forced to repetitively relocate into temporary shelters
every flooding season. Governmental response to the Efundja has remained mainly reactive.
However, global policies on disaster management have changed drastically since the 1990s, moving
away from the previous emphasis on emergency management, towards new applications of disaster
risk management. Several international declarations expressed the determination to implement
actions to reduce risks at every level. These approaches were adopted by many national governments.
Namibia followed suit by aligning with the current Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
(SFDRR) as well as the former Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005- 2015. Consequently, the
government developed its national disaster risk management framework which is stipulated in the
Disaster Risk Management Act, Act number 10 of 2012. The Disaster Risk Management Act is the
current guiding national Efundja response blueprint applied whenever responding to any national
hazard.
Despite the existence of this national disaster risk management framework, governmental
response to the Efundja seems to follow a reactive approach as it mainly focuses on providing relief
aid and temporary shelters while failing to address the underlying factors. Most importantly, the
national response neglects the response mechanisms and mitigation measures of the vulnerable
communities living in the basin, completely negating their input in the response mechanism. The aim
of this study was to develop a disaster risk reduction proactive response framework for the recurring
Efundja in the rural Cuvelai-Etosha basin of northern Namibia, by specifically including the lived
experiences of the rural communities of the basin.
This study applied a qualitative phenomenological inquiry in order to investigate the
appropriate approach of dealing with Efundja in northern Namibia. Through the use of semi-
structured interview schedules with key informants and focus group discussions with community
members, the present study obtained primary data which was analysed through content analysis with
the assistance of Atlas.ti software. The results indicate that the communities of northern Namibia have a negative perception
about their ability to deal with the Efundja. This perception highlights the need for risk awareness
programmes and improved information sharing methods to teach and help these communities to
recognise their own potential and capacities in dealing with the Efundja. These communities
collectively engage in response activities such working together to fix local roads and pedestrian
bridges, raise funds, demarcate landmarks in the iishana to be able to cross them safely, and use their
accumulated knowledge to mitigate the impacts. This indicates capacity and resources to mitigate the
impact of the Efundja. Their ability to organise themselves through their social networks in order to
participate in these activities represents solidarity and highlights available social capital.
Moreover, these communities also engage in mitigation measures that signify the underlying
issues that need to be addressed. Mitigation measures such as changing Mahangu storage facility
type, buying of groceries in bulk and travelling in groups, changing house building materials, digging
trenches, storing valuable goods higher and creating sand embankments all reveal the root issues
associated with stagnant water. The large volumes of stagnant water eventually penetrate into
homesteads and crop fields and destroy these assets. In order to effectively and proactively address
these issues, the government response approach should include the provision of proper road
infrastructure that would allow appropriate water movement and enable the movement of the people
themselves.
An important characteristic of the response mechanisms employed by the communities is that
they are only able to respond to, and mitigate, the immediate, short-term and mid-term risks of
flooding, but not the long-term risks. Some of the mitigation measures used may lead to further
vulnerabilities and accidents such as drowning and the danger posed by open water ditches to children
and animals. This indicates the need for the national response approach to earnestly include the
vulnerable community’s views and ideas into the national disaster risk management framework in
order for the framework to substantially address the underlying issues faced by the communities. The
ongoing provision of relief aid and temporary shelters is only a solution for medium and short-term
risks but such efforts do not address any long-term Efundja risk issues. The provision of relief aid
and temporary shelters does not reduce the loss of human lives or assets as the national disaster risk
management framework envisioned to do. Ironically, both the communities and the government focus
on short and medium-term responses. While this is normal for affected communities, governmental
responses should take a more long-term approach to be successful.
The local headmen have also expressed an inability to effectively respond to Efundja. They
have stated that besides monitoring the status of residents and consulting with the local constituency. councillors, encouraging the locals to work harder to have enough food, creating awareness and
issuing warnings, they do not have a defined way of preparing for or responding to Efundja. Their
responses show a lack of confidence in their work and highlight the lack of resources and means to
prepare and support their communities during the recurring Efundja. They expressed how they are
the least recognised in terms of remuneration, resource allocation and funds provision in order to
assist their communities. They emphasised that all the resources and relief aid assistance they offer
is usually taken from their personal income. This indicates a need for programmes to empower
headmen, through training and awareness programmes, with authoritative power and empowerment
in the overall traditional leadership to be able to effectively guide and offer direction to their
respective communities in times of hazards.
On the other hand, the local-level disaster risk management officials regard the occurrences
of Efundja as normal and have expressed the way their offices are under-equipped. These officials
only assist those who come to ask for help, give precautionary measures, conduct rapid assessments,
monitor dam levels and organise and prepare relocation camps. Moreover, the results show that these
local officials lack institutional capacity and knowledge of disaster management. This is evident in
the way they emphasise maintaining emergency budgets, giving information on dam levels with no
actions recommended, the organising of relocation camps and keeping of emergency equipment,
without referring to planning or mitigation for future flooding. Their responses indicate the emphasis
placed on emergency management and a lack of planning to reduce the effects of the Efundja on the
people. Therefore, it is necessary to build institutional capacity for the local-level disaster risk
management officials to empower them to take the leading role in disaster risk reduction at local
levels. It is hence important to equip them to be able to initiate, lead and sustain community-based
disaster risk management (CBDRM) programmes. They are the people closest to disaster-related
problems taking place in communities, making them the best vehicle to establish and execute long-
term solutions to risk reduction. This implies that local and traditional authorities are indispensable
components in establishing and maintaining disaster resilient communities.
The entity responsible for overall national Efundja response is the national-level disaster risk
management officials. The national response is based on the national disaster risk management
framework which is stipulated in the national policy on di saster risk management and the National
Act No.10 of 2012 on disaster risk management. Although this framework stipulates various proactive
measures, it is not appropriately implemented throughout the affected area. It displays a top-down
response centred on key government decision-makers coordinating other employees in order to
provide swift relief aid and temporary shelter to the affected communities. In theory, the framework describes the recommended disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction responses to
disasters; however, what is practised and implemented on the ground seems to be emergency response
management. The overall response approach is less focused on the affected communities, their views
or their way of responding to Efundja and more concerned with evacuating them out of the Efundja
zone during flooding season. The affected communities play no role at any level and their views or
opinions are not considered on any platform nor do they contribute to the national disaster risk
management framework.
Therefore, the present study identified an urgent need for the full implementation of the
existing disaster risk reduction framework in order to minimise the negative impacts of the Efundja,
and the inclusion of the views of the local communities in developing a better, more proactive disaster
management framework. The proactive disaster risk reduction framework developed from the results
of this study recommends the development of community-based risk awareness programmes, the
strengthening of early warning systems and dissemination of information thereof, active participation
by community members in improving disaster response and mitigation strategies, and empowerment
of local headmen and local-level disaster risk management officials. Further recommendations
include the need to secure a funding mechanism for the implementation of further risk reduction
programmes and capacity building for all disaster risk management units. By implementing these
recommendations, the current disaster risk reduction framework can be improved to ensure
sustainable, proactive, disaster risk reduction and mitigation in the Cuvelai-Etosha basin.
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Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Cuvelai (Namibia), Etosha National Park (Namibia), Floods -- Namibia Cuvelai, Efundja, Natural disasters -- Risk assessment, Hazard mitigation, Sustainable development -- Namibia Cuvelai, Risk management -- Social aspects -- Namibia Cuvelai, UCTD