The Institute for Global Health and Development
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Item Climate justice and the politics of extraction in Africa: the case of Zimbabwe(Taylor and Francis Group, 2025-04-23) Nyamwanza, Admire; Bhatasara, SandraThis practice note links climate justice with the politics of extraction in Africa, using the case of lithium mining in Zimbabwe. The note emanates from a critical review of how current activities in key sectors at the centre of extractive politics in Africa, particularly mining, expose political rhetoric in as far as the move to and benefits of green transition in Africa are concerned. As the global demand for minerals important in climate change mitigation like cobalt and lithium rises, it appears the extraction patterns from colonial times are continuing and local communities directly impacted by extraction of these minerals are not meaningfully benefiting. Concerns have been raised around poor safety standards, unsafe working conditions, unfair displacement measures, environmental damage, and low wages for the workers. The practice note advances recommendations for a just green transition particularly as it involves the mining sector and implications of mining activities in Africa.Item Transfrontier parks and development in southern Africa: The case of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park(Taylor & Francis Group, 2013-10-07) Bhatasara, Sandra; Nyamwanza, Admire; Kujinga, KrasposyThe interface between local communities and transfrontier parks has received considerable attention, yet the utility of the transfrontier concept in developing livelihoods and environmental sustainability in southern Africa remains questionable. This paper argues that the benefits of transfrontier parks at regional, national and community levels cannot be overstated; neither should the problems be underestimated. Transfrontier parks may be viable alternatives in achieving development that is sustainable by protecting southern Africa's fragile environments, generating more funds and bringing significant and major improvements to the lives of the rural poor. At the same time, transfrontier parks raise issues of sovereignty of national governments, create complexity in governance processes and can lead to the needs of rural communities being sacrificed. Therefore, there is a need to find ways to reconcile conflictual and sometimes controversial circumstances in the establishment of transfrontier parks and, inquire further into the programmatic blueprints for transfrontier initiatives.Item The utility of postmodern thinking in climate adaptation research(Springer, 2014-11-12) Nyamwanza, Admire; Bhatasara, SandraAdaptation has assumed centre stage in current climate change discourse, yet there has been minimal attention to the explicit exploration of epistemological and ontological concerns in the area. This paper focuses on these critical dimensions by exploring the contributions of a postmodernist perspective to climate adaptation research and analysis. Based on the ideas of three leading postmodern thinkers, Jean-François Lyotard, Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida, the paper presents postmodernism as an integrative research paradigm which acknowledges the complexity of the adaptation discourse by embracing the diversity of meanings and narratives around climate adaptation and the utilization of a plurality of methodologies and approaches in research with a potential to drive rigorous and contextually relevant climate adaptation research.Item Exploring pathways to private sector investment in climate change adaptation and resilience in Africa(African Journals Online, 2018-06-16) Nyamwanza, Admire; Bhatasara, SandraThe objective of this paper is to explore ways in which African governments can engage the private sector to successfully create conditions and incentives for accelerated private sector investment in climate change adaptation and resilience activities in their countries. The paper is based on a critical review of both grey and published literature, with arguments being supported by cases of experiences in different African countries. The paper finds that while there are clear opportunities for private sector involvement in climate change adaptation and resilience efforts in Africa, there are also several critical financial and non-financial barriers that have to be dealt with, to ensure that private sector players successfully tap into the available opportunities. The paper recommends the setting up of coherent and coordinated policy and regulatory frameworks towards creating a conducive environment for private sector investment in climate change adaptation and resilience activities in Africa.Item Sustainability: a missing dimension in climate change adaptation discourse in Africa?(Taylor and Francis Group, 2018-04-25) Bhatasara, Sandra; Nyamwanza, AdmireThe climate change adaptation field has evolved considerably in recent years. Important contributions have been made, with scholars developing methods for assessing vulnerability in different countries and communities, documenting broad strategies for adaptation and identifying opportunities for and barriers to adaptation as well as ways to enhance adaptive capacity. Issues of sustainability are, however, not readily argued and embraced. Predominantly, our analysis exposes that current adaptation discourse, particularly in Africa, offers a narrow conceptualisation of sustainability. The paper argues for a clear framework of sustainability in adaptation discourse which encompasses awareness to contextual aspects in responding to climate variability and change as well as resilience aspects. The paper also calls for an expansion of the knowledge base around the concept of ‘climate-smart agriculture’ towards effectively incorporating sustainability aspects in climate change adaptation discourse.Item Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Development: Narratives from Post-Fast-Track Land Reform Female Farmers in Zimbabwe(Sabinet, 2021-03-01) Karuma, Praise; Bhatasara, Sandra; Nyamwanza, AdmireRural farmers in Africa, and particularly women, are engaging in various adaptation strategies within and beyond farming. In countries such as Zimbabwe, adaptation is taking place within a socioeconomic crisis context. Analysis of adaptation in this paper is pitched within this specific context in relation to sustainable development. Based on narratives of women farmers in a resettlement area that emerged out of the fast-track land reform programme of the early 2000s, the outcomes of adaptation strategies adopted by these women are examined. The paper is framed using the concept of sustainable adaptation. The study shows that adaptation is, largely, producing undesirable outcomes in terms of sustainable development. Some of the strategies are threatening biodiversity. Competition between people and livestock over natural resources is also producing undesirable outcomes. Income-generating strategies are failing to assist the women to deal with deprivation and poverty. Any policy interventions in promoting women’s adaptive capacities should therefore take note of these intersecting problems, in order to steer adaptation onto sustainable trajectories.Item Climate Injustice and the Role of Climate Justice Movements in Africa: The Case of Zimbabwe(Brill, 2022-10-07) Bhatasara, Sandra; Nyamwanza, AdmireItem Narratives of climate adaptation and linkages to psychosocial and nutritional health in a Zimbabwean rural community(Elsevier, 2025-02-04) Bhatasara, Sandra; Nwosu, Chijoke; Macheka, Lesley; Nyamwanza, AdmireIn the face of unprecedented climate change, adaptation has emerged as important for communities and nations to deal with the devastating effects of the phenomenon. It is inevitable that communities must adapt, although evidence in several regions, including Zimbabwe also point towards maladaptation. A plethora of studies have been developed to understand adaptation practices and processes, including the impacts of various adaptive strategies. However, this approach has been limited to particular fields such as livelihoods studies, with clear evidence in Zimbabwe that heath issues vis-à-vis adaptation outcomes have not been taken into consideration at policy, development and research levels. Our study is therefore breaking new research frontiers by exploring the nexus between adaptation strategies and psychosocial and nutritional health outcomes. As an important learning research process into a field where virtually no literature exists in the country, the results are both complex and intriguing. This qualitative study shows positive nutrition benefits such as improved dietary diversity and boost in self –esteem and, improved stress level over food availability as psychosocial health benefits.