With a strong focus on understanding the factors that enhance or diminish people's vulnerability and wellbeing, and the responses they take to deal with both climatic and non-climatic stressors, ASSAR focused on the most marginalised. In particular, we sought to shift the adaptation narrative from centering mainly on infrastructural, technical solutions to forefronting and addressing some of the barriers posed by power structures, patriarchal norms and governance disconnects.
ASSAR and Kati-FM's climate change radio shows takes a look at gender, agriculture, and climate change policy and action in Namibia. Ndamonako Anna Iita reports on episodes five, six and seven.
In 2016, as part of ASSAR, researchers from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), visited Gulbarga Region in Karnataka and Latur Region in Maharashtra to talk to development officers and farmers about the devastating impacts of the recurrent drought.
Shortly after the African Drought Conference, held in Namibia in August, the Omusati Region Drought Resilience Consultative Meeting took place, with the aim of offering feedback from the Drought conference.
A great article by Gina Ziervogel (UCT) and Margaret Angula (UNAM) is featured in The Namibian newspaper on how responses to drought in Africa are teaching us about climate hot spots.
Arjun Srinivas, a researcher in ASSAR's India team, explains that the challenge for policymakers is to establish a robust policy architecture that is flexible, forward-thinking and enables farmers to adapt to disruptions.
The world may still argue about whether or not climate change is for real. But in vast expanses of arid southern Africa, the daily struggle to cope with a changed climate is well under way. may still argue about whether or not climate change is for real.