Page 20 - Spring Graduation Booklet (SESSION-1)(19Oct2022)

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, ENGINEERING
& NATURAL RESOURCES
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SCIENCE (GEOGRAPHY)

CANDIDATE: MENJONO-KATJIZEU Ewaldine

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION

A COLLECTIVE APPROACH TOWARDS COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE IN COMMUNAL LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:
A CASE STUDY OF OMAHEKE REGION, NAMIBIA

Slightly less than half of the Namibian population resides in rural areas and primarily
depends on agriculture for employment, food and an income. The stability of this
agricultural economy is therefore key to the livelihoods and general survival of
communal livestock farmers in the country. Communal livestock farmers in Namibia
have, however, been experiencing numerous challenges resulting from the negative
effects of climate change, environmental degradation, population growth and
changes in communal land legislation and management systems in the past few
decades. These changes have negatively affected livestock production systems and
they are impinging on the livelihoods of the communal pastoralists in particular, and on
the country’s economy in general as the number of livestock produced for sale locally
and internationally has been decreasing significantly. Against this background, this study
sought to develop a community-based resilience approach towards the management
of communal land resources in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It was envisaged
that such an approach, which utilises indigenous knowledge, and is anchored in the
communal farmers’ traditions, culture and beliefs, would enable farmers to become
more resilient and adaptive in the face of a changing environment. The study adopted
a qualitative approach, using in-depth interview guides to collect information from
25 individual households, 7 key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions in
the study area. Data analysis was primarily based on the thematic approach, which
entailed familiarisation with data, creating codes, grouping the codes into themes and
then constructing narratives around the identified themes. The study findings indicate
the centrality of including indigenous knowledge in the adaptation process and in
managing communal resources sustainably and for the benefit of pastoral farmers.
Furthermore, the study findings underline the importance of the strategic involvement,
participation and representation of pastoral communities in the governance of their
resources. Another key finding centred on the importance of traditional authorities in
bringing their people to collectively strategize for the benefit of the community and attain
improved resilience. Based on these key findings, the study developed a framework for
a collective approach towards the management of communal resources, which when
followed can result in the improvement of community resilience in the Omaheke Region
in general, and also other communal areas with similar contextual characteristics.

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