The scarcity of water and especially the lack of safe drinking water have been accepted as amongst the most serious challenges facing the twenty-first century. The lack of access to water is a global problem that faces between 460 million to more than 1 billion people as a result of an increasing demand for water as well as a diminishing supply of water resources. The lack of access to potable water poses a great constraint on the societal and individual well-being for the inhabitants of the semi-arid regions of southern Africa and the key area needed to improve the sustainable development of water resources and services has been identified as water governance. The aim of this research is, therefore, to understand how access to potable water affects the well-being of communities living in the Cuvelai-Etosha basin in Namibia and to understand how these communities participate in water governance. The Okalonga B and Onandjandja villages were used as case studies.The objectives of this study are to examine how water is accessed and determine what the barriers are in accessing potable water, to examine how the well-being of the communities in the two villages is affected by water access and to explore how communities are engaged in water governance. The overall methodology of the study was based on a qualitative approach to case study research. Interviews were conducted at the household level, the constituency and regional levels using semi-structured interview guides. The study found that the communities of Okalonga B and Onandjandja access water through hand-dug wells, private and communal taps, Etaka dam and Oshana, and boreholes. A total of 6 barriers to accessing potable water were identified. These included distance to communal taps, amount of water one can carry, administration of water infrastructure, maintenance of water infrastructure, ability to pay the set water fees and specific times allocated for collecting water. The barriers to accessing potable water negatively affect the well-being of communities. Communities felt that they would have better economic opportunities if they had access to potable water which would in turn improve their well-being and livelihood opportunities. Furthermore, the study found that community participation in water governance was poor.

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PhD - Geography / Due to increasing rapid environmental change, coupled with changes in social, economic and political conditions, vulnerability assessments have become increasingly important for understanding society’s capacity to deal with such changes. The aim of this research is to examine vulnerability of rural societies as well as the configuration of forces that shape their ability to cope and adapt to climate variability. The study compares two rural societies living in different climatic regions in Botswana. These are, the southwestern part, which has the driest climate and the northern part, which has the wettest climate.

Background: Given that anthropogenic climate change has been suspected in the increased distribution of infectious diseases, cardiovascular mortality, and malnutrition, the adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation behavior (MAB) is paramount. College students in the USA have not given evidence of adherence to MAB. Because (a) fossil-fuel emissions in the USA exceed that which is observed in many other countries and (b) college students have the potential to influence climate policy/research in the future, an understanding of the factors that contribute to or prohibit the uptake of the these behaviors among this population is needed. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to (a) test the psychometric characteristics of an instrument designed based on the Behavioral Ecological Model to measure factors that influence the uptake of MAB and (b) examine tentative differences between (based on demographic factors) and relationships among all of the latent constructs examined in the psychometric testing phase of the study. Methods: A convenience sample of students from a midwestern university (n = 509) participated in the study by completing a web-based survey. Partial Least Squares Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted in order to examine the psychometric characteristics of the instrument. Kruskal-Wallis H tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were utilized in order to examine differences, based on demographic factors, on the latent constructs created in the CFA. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized in order to test a preliminary structural model (based on the BEM) of factors that predict the uptake of MAB. Results: The results of the PLS CFA showed that the instrument was valid and reliable. Differences on the latent constructs in the model differed by demographic factors and the structural model showed that race, descriptive social norms, perceived governmental control, and cultural worldviews predicted the uptake of MAB. Conclusion: Interventions on college campuses informed by the BEM are needed in order to stimulate greater adherence to MAB.

In central Mississippi, corn exposed to extreme temperatures and drought in summer months may result in reduced yields while corn planted early in the season may be susceptible to frost damage. This study performs an analysis and modeling of ideal planting dates using air and soil temperatures, daily precipitation, and January teleconnection indices to determine if early planting procedures may benefit corn grown in Mississippi. Resulting ideal planting dates vary annually, with early planting dates experiencing moderate harm and late planting dates experiencing severe harm. Additionally, models predicting ideal planting dates produce consistent R2 values, but contain errors of 20–30 days. This research concludes that early planting dates are beneficial to production, as they are less likely to result in crop loss. Furthermore, January teleconnection patterns have an influence on ideal planting dates in Mississippi, indicating that long-term climate patterns may be responsible for changes in the growing season.

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