Browsing Faculty of Science by Author "Chanda, R."
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Totolo, O.; Chanda, R. (Elsevier Science Ltd, http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622855/description#description, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: The collection of papers in this special edition of the Journal of Arid Environments is a sequel to a Workshop held in Maun, Botswana, in October 2000, on the theme Climate Change, Biodiversity and Multi-species Production Systems in the Kalahari Region. Constituting only about one-third of the workshop papers delivered, this set of articles survived a rigorous peer-review process and are being published as one of the planned outputs of the Maun meeting. Except for the keynote paper by Darkoh which is a review article with a continental purview, the collection is based on research conducted by natural and social scientists within the Southern African Kalahari region either as part of the Southern African Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) co-ordinated from the University of Virginia in the U.S.A. or of the Kalahari Transect project based at the University of Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/316 Files in this item: 1
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Hamandawana, H.; Chanda, R.; Eckardt, F. (Taylor & Francis, http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00207233.asp, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper draws on archival information, anecdotal evidence from local communities, in situ observations during field investigation and multi-date remotely sensed satellite imagery. The authors investigated the role of human factors in the degradation of natural resources in and around the Okavango Delta. Their study concerned a period slightly in excess of 140 years between 1860 and 2001. Environmental changes in this sub-region appear to be the convergent outcome of interaction between natural and non-natural factors. A sustained decrease in rainfall appears to have instigated downward trends from a wide range of factors whose adverse effects were aggravated by human agency. The evidence points to progressive deterioration in the form of sustained contraction of surface water sources and grazing resources. Mistakes of the past need to be avoided by formulating appropriately informed human response and adaptation strategies. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/279 Files in this item: 1
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Phuthego, T.C.; Chanda, R. (Elsevier http://www.linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S014362280300033X, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: The advent of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in Botswana in the late 1980s ushered in a new paradigm in natural resource management. The strategy marked a change from state-controlled to community-controlled wildlife management. The expectation is that under community control, local expertise on biodiversity, termed in this paper as traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), plays a significant role that is supposedly facilitated through local institutions and traditional practices. This paper examines the incorporation of TEK in the CBNRM projects in KD 1, which is a controlled-hunting area (CHA) in the north-western part of the Kgalagadi North sub-district, Botswana and illustrates that the projects acknowledge and demonstrate the utility value of TEK in sustainable natural resource management. It concludes that TEK systems and institutions could serve as entry points into sustainable natural resource utilisation and management. This could be achieved through the exploration of cultural practices of the local people and integrating useful aspects into the modern natural resource management expertise. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/418 Files in this item: 1
Phuthego_AG_2004.pdf (1.867Mb) -
Chipanshi, A.C.; Chanda, R.; Totolo, O. (Springer http://www.springerlink.com/content/p88867543584713, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: This study examines the sensitivity of maize and sorghum crops to global warming in Botswana, a country with arid climatic conditions and shortfalls in locally produced grain. The vulnerability of the maize and sorghum crops to climate change were studied using crop simulation models while climate change scenarios were generated from Global Circulation Models. Simulated yields indicated that rain-fed crop production under the observed climate was a small fraction of what could be produced under optimal conditions. The gap was attributed to both physical (especially lack of rain) and socio-economic constraints. Using the southern African core climate change scenario, simulated yields declined by 36% in the case of maize and 31% for sorghum in the sand veldt region. Yield reductions from the hard veldt region were in the order of 10% for both maize and sorghum. The growing season became shorter, the average reduction in days in the sand veldt region being 5 and 8 days for maize and sorghum respectively, and correspondingly, 3 and 4 days over the hard veldt region. The food security option currently followed in Botswana was found to be a good adaptive strategy under a changed climate. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/412 Files in this item: 1
chipanshi_CC_2003.pdf (1.144Mb)
Now showing items 1-4 of 4