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Climate change impacts on human development have been an issue of global concern in the past few decades. Over the past few years, there is increasing interest on the impacts of climate change on conflict, peace and security in Africa. This paper explores the extent to which climate change impacts and attendant effects on environmental resources are drivers of some of the conflicts in the Lake Chad region, specifically in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. It applies the human security theory to establish the interface between climate impacts, human insecurity and local conflicts. We find that reduced access to natural resources such as fertile land, water and pasture is undermining livelihoods of vulnerable people and communities in the Lake Chad region, which triggered recurrent conflicts.

The San community in Zimbabwe is one of the indigenous tribes that have had a rather belated encounter with modernisation and globalisation. Their transition from a hunting and gathering economy to...

Urban household food insecurity has become a widespread dilemma in Zimbabwe. The paper investigates the extent to which various in-kind transfer programmes in two Bulawayo townships Zimbabwe, have ...

Livestock rearing is a popular climate change adaptation strategy among farmers in Matobo District, Zimbabwe. In this chapter we reveal how farmers in Matobo District have benefited immensely from rearing small livestock in response to climate change. Although the descriptor “small livestock” generically refers to different types of livestock, in this chapter we limit it to goat and sheep rearing. The purpose of the chapter is (1) to discuss the efficacy of small livestock rearing as a response to climate change and (2) to use smallholder farmer’s narratives to evaluate the success of government interventions in enhancing small livestock production. Utilizing an inductive approach, data was gathered through five (5) key informants, five (5) focus group discussions, and 50 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Our study reveals that small livestock are suitable and adaptable to climate change impacts in Matobo. We recommend that government and its development partners prioritize and avail funds for the increased uptake of small livestock rearing among smallholder farmers in Matobo District and beyond.

Livestock rearing is a popular climate change adaptation strategy among farmers in Matobo District, Zimbabwe. In this chapter we reveal how farmers in Matobo District have benefited immensely from rearing small livestock in response to climate change. Although the descriptor “small livestock” generically refers to different types of livestock, in this chapter we limit it to goat and sheep rearing. The purpose of the chapter is (1) to discuss the efficacy of small livestock rearing as a response to climate change and (2) to use smallholder farmer’s narratives to evaluate the success of government interventions in enhancing small livestock production. Utilizing an inductive approach, data was gathered through five (5) key informants, five (5) focus group discussions, and 50 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Our study reveals that small livestock are suitable and adaptable to climate change impacts in Matobo. We recommend that government and its development partners prioritize and avail funds for the increased uptake of small livestock rearing among smallholder farmers in Matobo District and beyond.

The emissions of greenhouse gases together with other anthropogenic activities has caused a change in global climatic conditions with corresponding negative effects on agricultural producti...

Climate change is considered by many to be one of the greatest challenges to humanity, with Africa seen as one of the most affected continents. There is a growing recognition that purely scientific...

This paper examines the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods labour requirements. It explores how climate change is impacting the work of men and women differently i...

This paper seeks to bring to the fore the importance of education, skills and capabilities in the manner in which migrant remittances are spent. Previous studies have often lamented the use of remi...

Substantial policy and academic research on migration has focussed on migrant remittances to developing countries. That research has often given a positive evaluation of the impact of remittances on development, with specific reference to recipient households. However, there is limited research examining the indirect effect of migrant remittances on the development emanating from the activities of non-recipient households. Given the research gap, this paper seeks to examine the extent to which non-recipient households benefit from the flow of income and other material goods into their local economy. This study is based on a questionnaire survey (N = 159) and 15 semi-structured interviews. A key finding was that remittances have partly motivated the emergence of an entrepreneurial spirit in the local economy, with most of the local small businesses (including general dealer stores, bed and breakfast accommodation, construction companies etc.) run by non-recipient households. Non-recipient households have emerged as key entrepreneurial players in response to a high consumption demand amongst the recipient households. Profits generated through these small businesses are thus satisfying the basic needs of non-recipient households. Furthermore, a number of community projects are being financed through remittance income. These projects include food gardens, fishing and livestock farming which benefit both the recipient and non-recipient households. KEY WORDS: migration, development, multiplier effect, remittances, Tsholotsho

This paper aims to understand why smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe are “resisting” to adopt small grains as a strategy for adapting to the negative effects of climate change. The uptake of small grains has been very low among smallholder farmers in climate change affected districts in Zimbabwe in spite of expert advice. The paper seeks to interrogate this “refusal” by smallholder farmers to adapt through small grains. Data were collected using fifty (50) in-depth semi-structured interviews and five (5) key informant interviews in Tsholotsho, Zimbabwe to understand why smallholder farmers are not shifting to small grains production en masse in response to climate change to address food insecurity gaps. The paper finds that there are a plethora of reasons leading to the non-adoption of small grains as a climate change adaptation strategy. The explanations vary. The paper thematically provided a critical overview and analysis of the attitude of smallholder farmers on small grains cultivation. The literature systematically selected, provided a wide coverage of the small grains production value chain. The narratives of farmers through interviews reveal their lived experiences and attitudes on small grains. This paper provides a new understanding of why small grains programming has not been successful in Zimbabwe over the years. The paper recommends that the government takes practical steps to enhance the uptake of small grains production through assisting farmers by training and funding projects of such nature for resilience building.

This paper traces the developmental contribution of migrant remittances sent from South Africa to the Tsholotsho district of Matabeleland North province of Zimbabwe. Since the discovery of gold in South Africa, Zimbabweans from this region have been migrating to South Africa to seek employment. In recent times, the culture of migration in Tsholotsho continues to strengthen, as women have also joined this previously male dominated livelihood strategy. Debates on migration and development have often centered on the role of remittances as a key instrument for development in migrant sending countries. Governments and multilateral institutions have also taken up remittances as a policy priority with a keen interest. This study was conducted using a mixed methods approach. A total of 159 participants completed self-administered quantitative questionnaires. In addition, 5 in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants were conducted in Tsholotsho, while 10 in-depth interviews with migrants were conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa. The results of this study show that the majority of migrant remittances are largely used for unproductive consumption. However, there also exists a measure of investment owing to the need to satisfy the surging consumer demands within the local economy. In this paper, results have shown that migrant remittances are a key livelihood factor without which many poor people would be severely vulnerable to poverty and hunger.

Globalization has resulted in accelerated rates of migration of people between countries both nationally and internationally. People often migrate in a bid to diversify their resources such as labour as well as self-insure against livelihood risks. This trend has resulted in an increase in the interactions of migration and development. Migrant remittances have emerged as a key factor constituting the core of these interactions. This paper seeks to review theories on the migration-development nexus in the context of remittances and their role in development. While this paper traces the evolution of migration theory, an attempt will be made to demonstrate the potential for integrating two theories, namely the New Economics of labour Migration and the Sustainable livelihoods Approach. It could be argued that the integration of these theories could best assist in understanding the migration-development nexus in a more holistic fashion. This could assist in a better understanding of migration-development inter...

Substantial policy and academic research on migration has focussed on migrant remittances to developing countries. That research has often given a positive evaluation of the impact of remittances on development, with specific reference to recipient households. However, there is limited research examining the indirect effect of migrant remittances on the development emanating from the activities of non-recipient households. Given the research gap, this paper seeks to examine the extent to which non-recipient households benefit from the flow of income and other material goods into their local economy. This study is based on a questionnaire survey (N = 159) and 15 semi-structured interviews. A key finding was that remittances have partly motivated the emergence of an entrepreneurial spirit in the local economy, with most of the local small businesses (including general dealer stores, bed and breakfast accommodation, construction companies etc.) run by non-recipient households. Non-recipient households have emerged as key entrepreneurial players in response to a high consumption demand amongst the recipient households. Profits generated through these small businesses are thus satisfying the basic needs of non-recipient households. Furthermore, a number of community projects are being financed through remittance income. These projects include food gardens, fishing and livestock farming which benefit both the recipient and non-recipient households., Aktualna politika i znanstvena istraživanja migracija usredotočili su se na migrantske doznake zemljama u razvoju. To je istraživanje vrlo često pozitivno ocijenilo utjecaj doznaka na razvoj, s posebnim osvrtom na kućanstva koja su primatelji. No ograničen je broj istraživanja koja ispituju neizravni učinak migrantskih doznaka na razvoj koji proizlazi iz aktivnosti kućanstava neprimatelja. S obzirom na taj jaz u istraživanju u ovom se radu pokušava istražiti koliko kućanstva koja nisu primatelji imaju koristi od protoka prihoda i drugih materijalnih dobara u svoje lokalno gospodarstvo. Ova studija temelji se na anketnom upitniku (N = 159) i petnaest polustrukturiranih intervjua. Glavni rezultat pokazuje da su doznake djelomice pokrenule poduzetnički duh u lokalnom gospodarstvu s većinom malih lokalnih poduzeća (što obuhvaća trgovine raznom robom, smještaj s noćenjem i doručkom, građevinske tvrtke itd.) koja vode kućanstva bez primanja. Ta su se kućanstva pojavila kao glavni poduzetnički igrači u odgovoru na visoke potrošačke zahtjeve kućanstava primatelja. Na taj način dobit koju ostvaruju ta mala poduzeća zadovoljava osnovne potrebe kućanstava koja nisu primatelji doznaka. Osim toga prihodima od doznaka financira se veliki broj projekata u zajednici. Ti projekti obuhvaćaju sadnju i obrađivanje vrtova, ribolov i stočarstvo, od čega imaju koristi kućanstva koja su primatelji kao i ona koja to nisu.

South Africa has one of the highest inmate populations in the world. In order for the South African Correctional Services system to provide an environment conducive for the appropriate rehabilitation and reformation of its many inmates, it requires a balanced prisoner-warder ratio based on international standards. But is this the case in South African prisons? This is one of the questions that this article engages as it examines the prisoner-warder ratio at the East London Maximum Correctional Centre (ELMCC) in an effort to understand the effects of prison overcrowding on the prison work environment and correctional personnel. Based on empirical evidence gathered through qualitative techniques, the study finds a disproportionate prisoner-warder ratio at the ELMCC. This disproportion has a number of negative effects on the prison work environment and direct security personnel on duty. For example, high absenteeism is rife with warders frequently on sick leave while others are regularly on temporary incapacity leave. High stress levels are also a major problem pushing many warders into alcohol abuse. Cognitive job satisfaction and organizational commitment are also negatively affected by this disproportion with the majority of warders indicating poor work performance due to low morale and lack of motivation.

Communal rangelands in semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe are heavily stocked, poorly managed and drought prone resulting in high livestock losses during drought years. Resettlement interventions attempti...

This paper examines the role and contribution of urban agriculture towards household food security, employment creation and income generation among low-income working class and urban poor household...

This paper examines the impact of land access on the livelihoods of urban middle-income, low-income and urban poor who are beneficiaries of Zimbabwe’s fast track land reform programme. Focusing on ...

The African National Congress (ANC) won the May 2011 South African local government elections with 63.65% of the total votes. Despite this victory, the ANC was left in deep political introspection ...

Urban appropriation and transformation: bicycle taxi and handcart operators in Mzuzu, Malawi, by Ignasio Malizani Jimu, Mankon, Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group, 2008, 141 pp....

Architects of poverty: why African capitalism needs changing, by Moeletsi Mbeki, Johannesburg, Picador Africa, 2009, 196 pp., R135 (paperback), ISBN 9781770101616 Moeletsi Mbeki's book is a critica...

This study investigates the role of faith based organizations in HIV/AIDS mitigation, treatment and care. Using a qualitative methodology and with specific focus on Buddhist Compassion Relief (Tzu Chi Foundation), this study assesses the efficacy of HIV/AIDS intervention programmes run by the Tzu Chi Foundation (TCF) as well as their impact on the socio-economic and health wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It also analyses the challenges of such faith based organisation run public health community intervention programmes. The study finds that such interventions tremendously assist people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to access home based care in the absence of a well co-ordinated state intervention programme. Through the home based care programmes, PLWHA access more knowledge about how to live positively, safe sex practices to avoid re-infection and strategies of dealing with societal stigmatisation and social exclusion. Furthermore, PLWHA also receive nutritional food, are assisted in adhering to their prescribed ARV therapy and given physiotherapy sessions in an effort to elongate and enhance their quality of life. While there are the foregoing and many other benefits of home based care, the study however finds that such faith based organisation run public health interventions have a number of challenges which include inadequate funding, dubious development paradigm praxis, questionable sustainability thrust as well as organisational structures which do not reflect local population demographics. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n2p345

The ROAPE-sponsored conference on ‘State, Mining and Development in Africa’ which was held from 13-14 September 2007 at the University of Leeds brought together more than 100 activists and academic...

Several local studies have been carried out on the impact of climate change on livelihoods and development especially in developing countries. However, there is a general scarcity of literature that makes a comparative appraisal of the impacts of climate change on agro-ecological based livelihoods across the African continent. This paper seeks to address that gap by making a comparative analysis of the effects of climate change on agro-based livelihoods across the African continent, focusing on Eastern, Western, Southern Africa and the Sahel region. A cross continental perspective on this issue is important in informing current global climate change negotiations and response strategies both at global level and national levels. While some studies have been conducted at individual country levels about the projected and recorded impacts of climate change, there remains a dearth of literature that reviews and consolidates these findings to give an overall holistic picture about continental and sub-continental impacts in Africa especially as relating to local agro and ecological based livelihoods. This study finds out that the impact of climate change is invariably negative across the whole of Africa as it leads to failing agricultural yields and a reduction of bio-diversity. The paper recommends an intensification for the support of livelihood diversification strategies in rural development planning. It further recommends policy strategies that particularly targets the poor and vulnerable communities whose livelihoods hinge on agriculture and natural ecosystems as these will suffer the most from the impact of climate change.