ASSAR's work in Botswana

Semi-arid regions like eastern Botswana are highly dynamic systems that experience variable and sometimes extreme climates, adverse environmental change, and a relative paucity of and decline in natural resources. Historically, people living in these regions have adopted several coping mechanisms to deal with these conditions. Today, however, many communities exhibit low levels of adaptive capacity due to challenges such as marginalisation, underdevelopment, poverty, inequality, weak governance, maladaptive policies, and increasing population growth. Climate change is expected to augment existing levels of vulnerability as temperatures rise, rainfall decreases, and seasonal climate patterns become more variable.

From 2014-2018, ASSAR’s Botswana team worked in the Bobirwa sub-district of the country to better understand these existing and upcoming challenges. In the last year of the project, we expanded our Vulnerability and Risk Assessment work to Mahalapye (Central District) and to Chobe District. Made up of a team of researchers and practitioners from the University of Botswana, here

Botswana is one of the countries in Africa that will experience the most extreme changes in temperature and precipitation under global warming scenarios of 1.5°C-3°C above pre-industrial levels. These changes will have significant negative impacts on agriculture and other water-dependent sectors. There is an urgent need for communities and government to respond to climate change with measures that will build resilience and enhance wellbeing.

In recent years, there have been adverse changes in the quantity, quality, distribution and timing of certain ecosystem services due to increasing human pressure and climate change impacts. As dependence on and access to ecosystem services varies by gender, men and women are affected differently by these ecosystem changes. Ecosystem services need to be sustainably and equitably managed through improved monitoring and restrictions on harvesting. Access to alternative livelihood options should also be enhanced.

To increase the use of seasonal climate forecasts by people with different values, customs and belief systems, meteorological and place-based climate information need to be integrated through participatory processes with traditional and religious leaders. Forecasts should also be tailored and communicated in a way that is relevant and understandable to farmers, and should include information on what actions farmers should take.

Climate change is causing the frequency, severity, duration and spatial extent of droughts to increase. Yet, institutionally, drought and climate change are managed separately. There is a lack of coordination among departments responsible for drought management, and responses are largely reactive and crisis-driven. While emergency drought response does have an important role to play in drought management, a more proactive and integrated approach is needed to build the longer-term resilience of vulnerable people, ecosystems and the economy.

Grassroots stakeholders have equally valuable contributions to make as those in positions of power in policy, planning and vulnerability assessment processes. Multi-sector and multi-scalar participatory processes that enable collaborative planning and engagement with and between representative and marginalised stakeholders are thus important for ensuring that climate change responses are legitimate, effective, and tailored to the realities of various social groups.