scholarly journals Drought tolerant forb flora of a semi-arid protected savanna in the Lowveld of South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Van Coller ◽  
J. Klem ◽  
F. Siebert
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Functional Importance ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Herbaceous Communities ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
Prostrate Growth ◽  
Semi Arid

Background: Increased frequency and intensity of droughts related to climate change are predicted to induce pressure on herbaceous communities. Considering that forbs contribute significantly to savanna ecosystem resilience, we investigated forb communities of a protected semi-arid savanna during an extensive drought.Objective: We identified drought-tolerant species with their related functional traits.Results: Drought-tolerant forb flora comprised of several plant families and species with overlapping traits, of which the ability to resprout was related to perennials, whereas succulence and prostrate growth form were typical annual forb dominance traits.Conclusion: Results highlight the functional importance of forbs and their resilience to drought events in protected areas.

scholarly journals Households’ Adaptation to Climate Change Hazards in Semi-Arid Region of Mopani, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musa Yusuf Jimoh ◽  
Peter Bikam ◽  
Hector Chikoore ◽  
James Chakwizira ◽  
Emaculate Ingwani
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Semi Arid

New climate change realities are no longer a doubtful phenomenon, but realities to adapt and live with. Its cogent impacts and implications’ dispositions pervade all sectors and geographic scales, making no sector or geographic area immune, nor any human endeavor spared from the associated adversities. The consequences of this emerging climate order are already manifesting, with narratives written beyond the alterations in temperature and precipitation, particularly in urban areas of semi-arid region of South Africa. The need to better understand and respond to the new climate change realities is particularly acute in this region. Thus, this chapter highlights the concept of adaptation as a fundamental component of managing climate change vulnerability, through identifying and providing insight in respect of some available climate change adaptation models and how these models fit within the premises and programmes of sustainable adaptation in semi-arid region with gaps identification. The efforts of governments within the global context are examined with households’ individual adaptation strategies to climate change hazards in Mopani District. The factors hindering the success of sustainable urban climate change adaptation strategic framework and urban households’ adaptive systems are also subjects of debate and constitute the concluding remarks to the chapter.

scholarly journals Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) as a drought tolerant and food security crop

2015 ◽  
Vol Volume 111 (Number 11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nozipho M. Motsa ◽  
Albert T. Modi ◽  
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Ipomoea Batatas ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Negative Effect

Abstract Sweet potato is an important ‘indigenised’ root crop in South Africa. It features prominently in smallholder cropping systems because of its versatility, drought tolerance and positive role in food security. It outranks most staple crops in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and protein content. Much information is available on sweet potato as a drought tolerant and food security crop, but critical reviews that link its drought tolerance with food security are lacking. We review sweet potato as a food security crop, focusing on mechanisms associated with drought. We conclude that the crop has great potential in the light of imminent challenges associated with drought as a negative effect of climate change.

scholarly journals Climate change, groundwater and intensive commercial farming in the semi-arid northern Sandveld, South Africa

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Archer ◽  
Julian Conrad ◽  
Zahn Münch ◽  
Daleen Opperman ◽  
Mark Tadross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Commercial Farming ◽  
Semi Arid

Protected areas buffer the Brazilian semi-arid biome from climate change

Biotropica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 753-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis H. Acosta Salvatierra ◽  
Richard J. Ladle ◽  
Humberto Barbosa ◽  
Ricardo A. Correia ◽  
Ana C. M. Malhado
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals Climate change impact assessment on water security in South Africa: A case study in a semi-arid river basin

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 06014
Author(s):  
Yali Woyessa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Semi Arid

The main aim of this paper is to assess the impact of regional climate change scenarios on the availability of water resources in a semi-arid river basin in South Africa using a hydrological model called Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). In this paper, climate change data was derived from two downscaling approaches, namely statistical downscaling experiment (SDE) and dynamic downscaling (CORDEX). These were derived from the GCM simulations of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase-5 (CMIP5) and across two greenhouse gas emission scenarios known as Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. The spatial resolution of the dataset for the SDE method is 25 km × 25 km and 50 km × 50 km for the CORDEX method. Six GCM models were used for SDE set of data and four for the CORDEX set of data. SWAT model was run using these data for a period of up to mid-century (2020 – 2050) for SDE and for a period of up to the end of this century (2020 – 2100) for CORDEX data. The results were then compared with long-term historical data (1975-2005). Comparison of measured data with simulated historical data showed strong correlation (R2 = 0.95 for SDE data and R2 = 0.92 for CORDEX data), which is indicative of the reliability of projected future climate.

A Comparative Case of the Implications of Various Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Bangladesh, India, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Happwell Musarandega ◽  
Wisemen Chingombe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Drought Tolerant

This article is a synthesis of literature on cross-country experiences on the strategies for adapting to climate change in Southeast Asia (Bangladesh and India) and Southern Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe). The article shows that each selected country employs unique measures for adapting to climate change. In Bangladesh the specific strategies for adapting to climate change include the establishment of kinship and extended family ties to assist in difficult times.  Other strategies include diversification from the seasonal crop and perennial crop, provision of micro-finance, and adoption of non-farm income generating projects. The adaptation strategies in India include the establishment of farmer groups—examples of such groups are the self-help groups (SHG), the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), the Pradhan Mantri Gram Rojgaar Yojana (PMGRY), and Public Distribution System (PDS). In South Africa the adaptation measures include rationalising farm expenditure, changing of planting and harvesting dates, water conservation, planting drought-tolerant crops, and agricultural insurance. In Zimbabwe, farmers are adopting conservation agriculture, moving to regions with more rainfall, and investing in irrigation. The essential lessons for climate change adaptation from the countries studied showed that there is a need to rationalise farm inputs, adopt early maturing crop varieties, plant drought-tolerant crops, sound water management practices, and conserving the soil. Equally important is the need to conserve the water bodies, diversify effective weather forecasting, and use of early warning systems.

scholarly journals The home range of a recently established group of Southern ground-hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) in the Limpopo Valley, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Theron ◽  
Raymond Jansen ◽  
Paul Grobler ◽  
Antoinette Kotze
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Range Analysis ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Northern Border ◽  
Semi Arid

Little is known about Southern ground-hornbill (SGH) population ecology outside of large, formally protected areas where the largest declines in numbers have been recorded. The SGH has started re-colonising, establishing group territories and breeding successfully in the Limpopo Valley on the northern border of South Africa, following localised extinction from the 1950s to the 1970s. A group of SGH was monitored over a period of 14 months by means of radio telemetry across privately owned land in order to investigate their seasonal habitat movements in this semi-arid, predominantly livestock-based environment. We also investigated seasonal fluctuations in invertebrate prevalence, as an indication of food availability and its influence on seasonal SGH group movements and foraging activity patterns. There was a clear increase in food availability during the summer rainfall period allowing the group to forage over a wider area, whilst winter foraging remained localised within their range. Kernel home range analysis indicated a marked difference in size between the summer (13 409 ha) and winter (5280 ha) home ranges, with an overall home range of 19 372 ha, which is approximately double that of home ranges recorded that fall within formally and informally protected reserves. In this article, we proposed that food availability is the driving force for home range size and seasonal activity patterns in a semi-arid livestock-ranching habitat.Conservation implications: The Limpopo Valley SGH population is one of the most significant outside protected areas in South Africa. This population is especially vulnerable to threats such as poisoning, persecution for window breaking and drought, as shown by their near extirpation from the area. Conservation efforts need to focus on awareness amongst local farmers, provision of artificial nests and continued monitoring of groups.

The World Economic Forum Principles on "Climate Governance on Corporate Boards": can soft law help to face climate change around the world?

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Sabrina Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
World Economic Forum ◽  
Financial Factor ◽  
The World ◽  
World Economic

Climate change is a financial factor that carries with it risks and opportunities for companies. To support boards of directors of companies belonging to all jurisdictions, the World Economic Forum issued in January 2019 eight Principlescontaining both theoretical and practical provisions on: climate accountability, competence, governance, management, disclosure and dialogue. The paper analyses each Principle to understand scope and managerial consequences for boards and to evaluate whether the legal distinctions, among the various jurisdictions, may undermine the application of the Principles or, by contrast, despite the differences the Principles may be a useful and effective guidance to drive boards' of directors' conduct around the world in handling climate change challenges. Five jurisdictions are taken into consideration for this comparative analysis: Europe (and UK), US, Australia, South Africa and Canada. The conclusion is that the WEF Principles, as soft law, is the best possible instrument to address boards of directors of worldwide companies, harmonise their conduct and effectively help facing such global emergency.

DISSEMINATION AND USE OF INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF FARMERS IN MALUGA AND CHIBELA VILLAGES IN SEMI-ARID CENTRAL TANZANIA

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Elia ◽  
Stephen Mutula ◽  
Christine Stilwell
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change And Variability ◽  
Semi Arid

This study was part of broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances adaptation to climate change and variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and model to assess the dissemination of this information and its use by farmers in their adaptation of their farming practices to climate change and variability. This predominantly qualitative study employed a post-positivist paradigm. Some elements of a quantitative approach were also deployed in the data collection and analysis. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The study population comprised farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project manager. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were analysed to generate mostly descriptive statistics using SPSS.  Key findings of the study show that farmers perceive a problem in the dissemination and use of climate information for agricultural development. They found access to agricultural inputs to be expensive, unreliable and untimely. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and variability on farming effectively, the study recommends the repackaging of current and accurate information on climate change and variability, farmer education and training, and collaboration between researchers, meteorology experts, and extension officers and farmers. Moreover, a clear policy framework for disseminating information related to climate change and variability is required.

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