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A Lightweight Authentication Architecture for Unsupervised Internet of Things (IoT) in Smart Home Applications
No full textThe Smart Home environment is made up of different objects that have sensing capabilities and have the potential to interact with each other seamlessly. This brings a lot of convenience to the control and monitoring of the surroundings around the home environment. This reality is brought about as a result of the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomenon. The potential benefits presented by IoT technologies around the Smart Home environment can and are hampered by security issues that are yet to be resolved both at the perception layer and the transmission layer.
A simulated Smart Home environment that modelled critical application requirements for Assisted Ambient Living (AAL) spaces and Energy Saving Solutions (ESS) was used to evaluate the proposed lightweight authentication architecture’s efficiency, which was tested against existing similar solutions around the same functionality. The lightweight authentication architecture presented in this submission was tested using the SCYTHER tool, which allowed verification, falsification and security testing by checking on various classes of attacks and possible architecture behaviour. The architecture turned out secure for tested threats, guided by the Dolev-Yao model.
The contribution of this research, is its pragmatic approach to the security design for unsupervised constrained things. Key findings from this work highlight two important aspects for proper security advancement, which are identity management of things in the IoT space and the scalability of using agent based models to reduce resource demands at the device level. As an envisaged future relevance of this work, the vision of smart cities can be realise
Namibia University of Science and Technology 2016 first year architecture student projects for a place of learning in Ombaka, Kaoko Region, Namibia
No full textHow do we educate young architects to be not only
technically literate professionals but also critical
citizens able to question their role as professionals in
the post-colonial context of Namibia? This is a major
challenge for the relatively young Department of
Architecture and Spatial Planning, established only
in 2010 at the then NUST and
currently Namibia University of Science and
Technology. The validation of the undergraduate
programs by the Namibia Council of Architects and
Quantity Surveyors in 2016 allowed for some
introspection and guided the review of the curricula
in the long term process of de-constructing
dominant narratives of western architectural and
urban theory and re-building them from a more
situated perspective. More immediately and
practically, the type of projects students are tasked
with in design studios must reflect contemporary,
socially relevant challenges. Instead of considering
projects for informal economies, or housing
upgrading and neighbourhood re-blocking as
incidental interventions, we realize that such projects
will provide major challenges for future architects
and other spatial practitioners. Such projects require
serious engagement with user communities and the
development of methods and tools that transcend
the classical representational techniques of architects, in order to co-produce spatial interventions with non-expert stakeholders within a complex field of social, cultural, economic and political dynamics. The sequence of architectural design studios within the undergraduate architecture programs has been developed over the past few years and was consolidated in the current curriculum review. Beginning with exercises on abstract space andstructural understanding in semester 1, students explore the interrelationship between form, volume, structure, materials and basic human spatial and functional requirements without the constraints of context
A Quarter Century of Social Carpentry
No full textThe current formal land tenure system in Namibia is unable to effectively deal with the huge backlog in formalization of informal settlements, most of which are in the rural areas of Namibia. The system is considered too slow and expensive for this purpose, and is also perceived as only benefiting the rich, while being inaccessible and too expensive for the poor. The proposed Flexible Land Tenure System (FLTS) aims to resolve this problem by implementing cheaper forms of land tenure, and bringing cadastral services closer to the poor. The system offers security of title, but the titles have significant limitations compared to freehold. It is questionable whether the FLTS will significantly accelerate the delivery of land to the poor, and whether it will indeed achieve the aims of a pro-poor land tenure system. It might in fact burden the poor with an inferior land tenure system, thereby becoming an obstacle rather than an instrument for poverty reduction and economic development. The formal land tenure system, on the other hand, is in urgent need of reform. The development of the new Urban and Regional Planning Bill, Deeds Registries Act, Flexible Land Tenure Regulations, and the current review of land survey related regulations, present an opportunity to address this issue. The development of these acts and regulations should be approached in a holistic manner aimed at improving land delivery and administration in general, with specific focus on the needs of the urban poor. The aim should be to make the system accessible and beneficial to all classes of society, thereby eliminating the need for a parallel system for the poor
Theses submitted to the faculty of engineering,Namibia University of Science of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the master of integrated water resources management
No full textFull text thesis is available in print format in NUST library. Please inquire at the Circulation Desk
Integrated Land Management Institute (ILMI) Land, Livelihoods and Housing Programme 2015-18
No full textThis document is a report on the session that focused on the role of universities in participatory informal settlement upgrading at the workshop titled "Bottom-up city Wide planning in Gobabis", which took place on 11-13 May 2017, in Gobabis. The event was convened by the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG) and the Shack Dwellers Federation, with support from Shack Dwellers International (SDI). Participants included the Namibia University of Science and TEchnology (NUST), the Municipality of Gobabis, the Ministry of Urban and Rural DEvelopment (MURD), and members from the frederation as well; as represntatives fom homologous institutions from Zambia, Kenya and Uganda
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOREIGN TRADE AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM SOUTH AFRICA
No full textThe driving objective of the study was to estimate the impact of foreign trade on
economic performance using the economy of South Africa as a test site. The study
contributes to the empirical literature by testing for a long-run relationship between
foreign trade and economic performance in South Africa by employing quarterly
data stretching from the period 1995Q1 to 2015Q4. The method of vector
autoregression (VAR) was employed. Variables included in the study consisted of
real GDP, exports, openness of the economy and exchange rate. The study found
cointegrating relationships among the variables investigated, and that export was
found to contribute more towards economic performance compared to openness of
the economy and exchange rates. When it came to Granger-causality analysis, the
study found a number of unidirectional relationships between the pairs of variables
examined in the model. For example, it was found that economic growth granger
causes exports and also openness of the economy granger causes exports. The
forecast error variance decomposition suggests that economic performance itself
accounted for most of the innovations that ensued during the 10-period forecast
horizon employed in the analysis. Policymakers could utilize the results of this
study, when it comes to policy formulation and design for the economy of South
Africa. The findings of the research could be used to improve upon economic policy
for South Africa and other developing countries on a similar path. The study creates
opportunities for further research endeavours concerning the issue under
investigation so as to unveil more evidence on the nature of the relationship between
foreign trade and economic performance in the economy of South Africa
The effect of fire on the root carbohydrate concentration and growth of encroaching terminalia sericea in a semi-arid savanna woodland in the Waterberg plateau park, Central Namibia
No full textFire is an ecological disturbance that may kill or topkill woody plants and control the biomass of woody species in disturbance prone areas, thus maintaining the co-existence of trees and grasses in savanna ecosystems. Relatively recently, savannas have been altered worldwide by a phenomenon known as bush encroachment, which is the suppression of grasses by woody species due to the increase in woody biomass. Terminalia sericea is a woody encroaching species which occurs in woodland savannas on dystrophic sandy soils; it often forms dense thickets and is considered as an encroacher on the Waterberg Plateau Park. The ability of encroaching woody species to resprout after topkill by fire, particularly in savanna ecosystems, is due to the already established and functioning carbohydrate reserves stored in the roots
A RECONSIDERATION OF THE EXPORT-LED GROWTH PARADIGM IN NAMIBIA DURING 1990:Q1-2016:Q4
No full textA large volume of empirical studies have conceded that international trade can
propel development in various ways. This study evaluates the impact of trade on
economic growth in the context of Namibia for the period 1990:Q1 to 2016:Q4.
The study employed modern time series analysis technique (vector autoregression
method) as against the direct application of the method of ordinary least squares
regression. The annual data collated by the study were first transformed into
quarterly data before estimating the model. The study was driven by four specific
objectives. The empirical results arising from the study found that exports, real
exchange rate and net foreign direct investment were positively related to
economic growth as suggested by the estimated long-run equation. Moreover, the
results obtained from the forecast error variance decomposition suggest that
fluctuations in economic growth as a result of shocks were mainly explained by
economic growth itself. This is not unusual. Moreover, amongst the three
explanatory variables used in the model, real exchange rate and net foreign direct
investment contributed more towards explaining changes pertaining to economic
growth during the forecast horizon compared to exports. The findings of the study
support a number of empirical studies that were reviewed. The study, inter alia,
recommends the need for Namibia to put in place appropriate exports’ incentives
that can potentially assist in boosting the country’s exports in regional and foreign
markets. Besides, the study recommends the need for Namibia to invest
enormously in transport and communications’ infrastructures, including
renewable and non-renewable energy supplies. The study concludes by providing
directions on further research opportunities pertaining to the issue under
consideration
A case study of smallscale farmers in Oshikoto Region
No full textSecure tenure and registered land rights are widely believed to be necessary for access to credit, well functioning land markets and economic development. As a result Namibia introduced long term leasehold rights over communal and commercial land for resettlement purposes in order to address preindependence imbalances in land holdings. The purpose is to bring the resettled beneficiaries into the mainstream of the economy, but this has not happened. The research analysed the institutional framework for resettlement allocations and the transaction costs in order to understand the impact of leaseholds on the beneficiaries ability to access credit and mobilise investments. The findings suggest that the transaction cost were low when compared with similar transaction internationally, but high in comparison with the production value of the parcels of land. The lack of resources available to the beneficiaries and their resultant inability to service loans is a major contributor to the lack of economic development. Poor access to information on the registration requirements for leases, combined with the requirements from financial institutions and the lack of a market for leasehold rights meant that beneficiaries are not able to register their leases in order participate meaningfully in economic development
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Computer Science at the Namibia University of Science and Technology
No full textMain stream academic institutions are aiming to improve from past trends and venturing into new emerging technologies for quality delivery of teaching and learning. One of these trends that enhance teaching and learning is termed eLearning. ELearning is when teaching and learning is facilitated through the use of information communication technologies. ELearning is highly popular because it is flexible, it supports self-paced learning, and learners can access learning material anywhere, anytime and in the absence of the instructor. The problem with eLearning is that of managing data, ensuring security, limited server space, infrastructure sourcing and expensive maintenance. In addition to these problems, most academic institutions in the developing world are unable to fully finance eLearning systems and the skills for the support of these systems. Higher and tertiary institutions in Namibia which also use eLearning in their day to day teaching and learning activities are faced with slow bandwidth challenges. However, cloud computing can ease the financial burdens and reduce support issues brought about by lack of information technology skills and infrastructure. A qualitative case study at one Namibian tertiary institution was used in which interviews and experiments were used to obtain data. ELearning administrators at the case site were interviewed and it was established that at this tertiary institution the eLearning system also experiences infrastructure problems, support issues due to lack of expertise and insufficient human resources. In addition, their eLearning server reduces performance as the number of concurrent users connecting to it increases. Thus, migrating to a public cloud would solve most of these issues but there was no concrete plan as to how to migrate to cloud. Consequently, this research used design science research to design a cloud based implementation model for higher and tertiary institutions in Namibia so that academic institutions can seamlessly migrate to cloud. An experimental cloud was setup using a cloud based implementation model. The results of the experiment proved that the biggest challenge being faced by this tertiary institution’s eLearning server can be overcome. One of the challenges that could be solved is that the server is slow due to the ratio of RAM on the server, which is not proportionally adequate to the number of users. Most eLearning technical challenges and technical support challenges were solved. The use of cloud computing was proposed as a solution to these challenges