4 research outputs found
The effect of bush clearing on soil properties, at Cheetah conservation fund farm in Otjozondjupa region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Arts in Geography and Environmental StudiesThe thesis discusses the problem of bush clearing as they affect soil quality, its productivity and environment in the semi-arid areas. In this case, land clearing came as a result of bush encroachment control mechanism. Bush encroachment is a form of land degradation present prominently in semi-arid areas. Namibia is affected by bush encroachment on a massive scale. The phenomenon is currently understood to affect large part of the country, causing severe economic losses for Namibia, in both the commercial and communal farming areas. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the effect of bush clearing on soil quality, particularly the soil macro-nutrients, N, P and K. The study was conducted on one farm, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) on two experimental fields. Samples were taken from two differentiated (cleared and non-cleared area) ecosystems. Fifty (50) soil samples were collected at depths of up to 30 cm. In each field 25 samples was collected, the samples were collected at 200 metres interval. The soil was tested for selected macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. Soil texture and composition was also tested as well as electrical conductivity, pH, and soil organic matter. The bush encroached site differed significantly from the cleared site with regards to nitrogen content, where high nitrogen content was recorded in the encroached site. The high occurrence of N content in the bush encroached site explain the nitrogen fixation by leguminous trees. Contrary to the study’s initial hypothesis, which hypothesized that there is no significant difference in SOM between bush-cleared and bush encroached sites, the study found that there is however a significant difference in the median SOM between the two sites
The Role of local communities in resource management: A case of Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy, Namibia
No full textThis paper presents the role of communities in resource management, with particular focus on the Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy. The study is part of the main research work that examined perspectives on community-based management practices, including the conservation area boundaries, but most importantly, the roles and responsibilities of various actors within the conservation area. The study was conducted to understand the state of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in the Okongo Community Forestry and Conservancy. It also explored the relationship between government functionaries and the local resource committees that are in existence as critical complementary proponents in the realisation of sustainable natural resource management. The study used a mixed research design, comprising qualitative and quantitative methods, and with this design, data collection methods included interviews and focus group discussions in four communities in the Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy, namely: Omauni East, Omauni West, Oshalandeand Kumininenge. A purposive sampling method was employed to select participants for the study. The study revealed that the management of resources such as water, wildlife, grazing areas and forestry was possible through management committees. Most of the committees were established with the aid of the government. The majority of respondents observed positive relationships between the government and thecommittees; only few did not. Membership on such committees can be attributed to a strong interest in the management of resources, although some members are elected to serve in leadership positions irrespective of their commitment to resource management. Sadly, there are conflicts around the management of resources. However, these conflicts are either resolved strategically through community meetings or are directly dealt with by the committees. Overall, community participation has greatly improved access and the integrity of natural resources by ensuring equal distribution of resources and services within the conservation area
Soil development in recent marine sediments of the intertidal zone in the Oosterschelde, the Netherlands : a soil micromorphological approach
No full textStiboka onderzoe
African dance in England: spirituality and continuity
No full textBetween the 17th and 20th centuries, the British misunderstood African cultural practices and reported on those in derogatory terms. With other European nations they projected Africans as ‘savages’ without any cultural traditions and consistently devalued traditional African religions and dances. Those views have seeped into the psychology of the British mentality and specifically, may have negatively influenced African dance development in the UK.
This thesis seeks to address those issues through a re-examination of the literature and a re-appraisal of Africa’s religions and dance forms. It will illustrate that in spite of he continuous attempts to decimate African cultural expression, Africa’s cultural practices survived and re-emerged in the Caribbean through slavery and through vibrate practice. The adaptation of the forms in their new environment, especially through adopting some aspects of Christian worship, nurtured alternative ways that later enabled the forms to find expression, as theatrical dance, in the UK.
The thesis is informed by international field trips, through the use of video and Internet sources, from attendances at African and Caribbean cultural events, through a wide range of secondary sources and from interviews spanning over twelve years. It is presented in two main sections. section one includes the Introduction and chapters One and Two. The Introduction provides a backdrop of current issues in African dance development and chapters One and Two provide a framework of African cultural practice on the continent and in the Caribbean, indicating how European perceptions of the people and their practices skewed the truth. Chapters Three and Four provide a detailed account of African dance development over the past fifth years through the activities of performance companies and support agencies. Chapter Five investigates dance development in the UK, specifically focusing on the works of two London-based choreographers and exploring how their spiritually determines their practice
