On the 7th and 8th of March 2018, the Office of the Governor in the Omusati Regional Council in collaboration with the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) project, will be hosting this year’s conference under the theme Water, Food security and Adaptation to Climate Change.
The challenge and rationale for the conference: The prediction that weather conditions will become more severe during the next decades places the responsibility for adaptation on the shoulders of all Namibians, especially high-level managers, policy and decision makers across all sectors. It is therefore important for people in north-central Namibia to understand how and why their climate is changing, so that they know how they can prepare for this change and make sure that there is enough food and water for the future.
Aim: The aim of the conference is to bring a range of stakeholders together to discuss the challenges faced by the region as a result of climate change and seek dialogue on solutions that can address these challenges and move beyond this to a sustainable solution.
The objectives of the public conference are to:
- To assemble the relevant role players in the sector,
- To advocate for increased efforts towards addressing long-term sustainable water needs for development in Omusati,
- To advocate for increased efforts towards the addressing water scarcity in Omusati,
- To advocate for increased efforts for improving food security in the region
- To explore funding opportunities for mitigation and/or adaptation to climate change
- To influence policy decisions for sustainable integrated management and development of our natural resources.
Expected outcomes of the conference:
- Improved awareness on the need to address water and food insecurity challenges under changing climate,
- Setting the agenda for informed decision-making process towards addressing water insecurity in the region in the face of climate change.
- Input into proposals for future funding to address climate change challenges in the region
Target group: Government institutions, Political office bearers, Business people, Farmers, Policy-makers, Donor agencies, local authorities and regional councils, civil society organizations, general public and the media.
For further information, please contact:
Omusati Regional Council
Ms. Ndapanda Kanime
Tel: 065-251019
Cell: 0811247683
Email: nkanime@omusatirc.gov.na
For the ASSAR project:
Ms. Bernadette Shalumbu
ASSAR project Coordinator
Tel: 061-377500
Cell: 081 296 4043
Email: bernadette.shalumbu@drfn.org.na
What is the ASSAR project?
Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions or ASSAR is a five-year research project (2014- 2018), funded by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). It aims to deepen understanding of climate vulnerability and adaptation in semi-arid regions and to inform and influence climate change adaptation practice and policy. It aims to embed proactive, widespread adaptation in development activities and to advance adaptive livelihoods for vulnerable groups in drylands by building capacity and closing knowledge gaps. The project is being implemented in four regions (Eastern, Southern and Western Africa and South Asia). In Southern Africa, the research is focused in Onesi constituency in Omusati region in Namibia and Botswana with a focus on the Bobirwa sub-district in the Limpopo Basin.
More information about the project is available on the website ( http://www.assar.uct.ac.za/) and a short video showing ASSAR's Theory of Change: Adapting to climate change in semi-arid Africa and Asia can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/0sEqm7tq6D8