An investigation into sustainable management practices for mitigating the recurrent drought in the North Western Kunene

Abstract

This qualitative approach study seeks to understand the sustainable management practices to mitigate the recurrent drought in Kunene North Western region, Namibia. This study targeted a sample of 15 participants that were selected using a purposive sampling procedure. The participants contributed to this study via close-ended questionnaires. Other than that, the data of this study were analyzed using thematic analysis where themes were used to present the data. This study found that regular droughts have caused many indigenous people in the Kunene region to change their way of life. The area has no irrigation schemes to produce food. The local wells dry up during the dry season. The roads in the area are not good; therefore, government officials could deliver food. Many individuals do not prepare for droughts, and even if they do, they cannot do so effectively. Moreover, the study also found, some indigenous knowledge that they use to monitor if there is a drought coming. The study indicated that to mitigate the effects of drought and food shortages in the country during drought periods, rainwater harvesting is a must and not an option. The study suggested that education and training are desirable to make the respondents aware of the effects of drought and identify the working solutions to the problem. The study recommended that dams must be built in the southern part of Kunene and harvest water from the Kunene River so that the community can come up with an irrigation project and supply the community with potable water to ease the pressure from public boreholes and other sponsored water. Besides that, the government intervention by decentralizing some agencies such as the National Youth Service (NYS) to set up a training facility where youth will be trained in civic affairs and volunteering in community work such as training the inhabitants with crop science as part of their internship. Additionally, the Kunene Region area needs a solar project because it cannot be connected to the mainland powerline.