Assessment of the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture in Zimbabwe : a ricardian approach

This study uses the Ricardian approach to examine the economic impact of climate change on agriculture in Zimbabwe. Net farm revenue is regressed against various climate, soil, hydrological and socio-economic variables to help determine the factors that influence variability in net farm revenues. The study is based on data from a survey of 700 smallholder farming households interviewed across the country. The empirical results show that climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) have significant effects on net farm revenues in Zimbabwe. In addition to the analysis of all farms, the study also analyzes the effects on dryland farmsand farms with irrigation. The analysis indicates that net farm revenues are affected negatively by increases in temperature and positively by increases in precipitation. The results from sensitivity analysis suggest that agricultural production in Zimbabwe's smallholder farming system is significantly constrained by climatic factors (high temperature and low rainfall). The elasticity results show that the changes in net revenue are high for dryland farming compared to farms with irrigation. The results show that farms with irrigation are more resistant to changes in climate, indicating that irrigation is an important adaptation option to help reduce the impact of further changes in climate. An overview of farmer adaptation to changing climate indicates that farmers are already using some adaptation strategies-such as dry and early planting, growing drought resistant crops, changing planting dates, and using irrigation-to cushion themselves against further anticipated adverse climatic conditions. An important policy message from the empirical findings is that there is a need to provide adequate extension information services to ensure that farmers receive up-to-date information about rainfall patterns in the forthcoming season so that they make well-informed decisions on their planting dates. Policies that increase farmer training and access to credit and aid facilities and help farmers acquire livestock and other important farm assets can help improve net farm performance. Ensuring the availability and accessibility of fertilizers and crop seeds before the onset of the next cropping season can also significantly improve net farm performance across households.Climate Change,Environmental Economics&Policies,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Agriculture&Farming Systems,Rural Development Knowledge&Information Systems

Micro-level analysis of farmers' adaptation to climate change in Southern Africa:

"Adaptation to climate change involves changes in agricultural management practices in response to changes in climate conditions. It often involves a combination of various individual responses at the farm-level and assumes that farmers have access to alternative practices and technologies available in the region. This study examines farmer adaptation strategies to climate change in Southern Africa based on a cross-section database of three countries (South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) collected as part of the Global Environment Facility/World Bank (GEF/WB) Climate Change and African Agriculture Project. The study describes farmer perceptions to changes in long-term temperature and precipitation as well as various farm-level adaptation measures and barriers to adaptation at the farm household level. A multivariate discrete choice model is used to identify the determinants of farm-level adaptation strategies. Results confirm that access to credit and extension and awareness of climate change are some of the important determinants of farm-level adaptation. An important policy message from these results is that enhanced access to credit, information (climatic and agronomic) as well as to markets (input and output) can significantly increase farm-level adaptation. Government policies should support research and development on appropriate technologies to help farmers adapt to changes in climatic conditions. Examples of such policy measures include crop development, improving climate information forecasting, and promoting appropriate farm-level adaptation measures such as use of irrigation technologies." from Authors' AbstractClimate change, Adaptation,

A nationally representative survey of healthcare provider counselling and provision of the female condom in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Objectives: Female condoms are the only female-initiated HIV and pregnancy prevention technology currently available. We examined female condom counselling and provision among providers in South Africa and Zimbabwe, high HIV-prevalence countries. Design: A cross-sectional study using a nationally representative survey. Setting: All facilities that provide family planning or HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) services. Participants: National probability sample of 1444 nurses and physicians who provide family planning or HIV/STI services. Primary and secondary outcome measures Female condom practices with different female patients, including adolescents, married women, women using hormonal contraception and by HIV status. Using multivariable logistic analysis, we measured variations in condom counselling by provider characteristics. Results: Most providers reported offering female condoms (88%; 1239/1415), but perceived a need for novel female barrier methods for HIV/STI prevention (85%; 1191/1396). By patient type, providers reported less frequent female condom counselling of adolescents (55%; 775/1411), women using hormonal contraception (65%; 909/1409) and married women (66%; 931/1416), compared to unmarried (74%; 1043/1414) or HIV-positive women (82%; 1161/1415). Multivariable results showed providers in South Africa were less likely to counsel women on female condoms than in Zimbabwe (OR=0.48, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.68, p≤0.001). However, South African providers were more likely to counsel women on male condoms (OR=2.39, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.65, p≤0.001). Nurses counselled patients on female condoms more frequently than physicians (OR=5.41, 95% CI 3.26 to 8.98, p≤0.001). HIV training, family planning training, location (urban vs rural) and facility type (hospital vs clinic) were not associated with greater condom counselling. Conclusions: Female condoms were integrated into provider counselling and care, although providers reported a need for new female-initiated multipurpose prevention technologies, suggesting female condoms do not meet all patient/provider needs or are not adequately well known or accessible. Providers should be included in HIV training efforts to raise awareness of new and existing products, and encouraged to educate all women

Motivations of sustainable entrepreneurship in Gauteng province, South Africa

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Johannesburg, 2017The study analysed dimensions of entrepreneurial motivations that drive sustainable entrepreneurship in Gauteng Province and estimated the relationships between these motivations and enterprise performance. Despite the growing field of sustainable entrepreneurship, most of the available literature has been mainly theoretical and qualitative, or has focused on developed countries, and very little has been done in developing countries such as South Africa. This study contributed to addressing this gap. The study was based on quantitative research methods based on a positivist research paradigm to test the conceptual framework. The empirical analysis of these hypotheses was based on primary survey data collected from 91 sustainable entrepreneurs in Gauteng Province. Reliability of the enterprise performance and motivation scales was tested with the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient test and the results were acceptable. The test of the factorability of the scale items into specific factors was based on exploratory factor analysis and the items were found to relate to the respective scales. Multiple regression analysis (both OLS and robust estimations) were used to test the relationships in the conceptual framework. The empirical analyses were done using 2016 SAS Studio University Edition. The Exploratory Factor Analysis results indicated that the motivations of sustainable entrepreneurship in Gauteng Province could be factored into four dimensions: extrinsic motivations, intrinsic motivations, income security and financial independence motivations, and necessity motivations. Multiple regression analysis results revealed that extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are important determinants of enterprise performance. Analysis of the effect of individual and enterprise control factors revealed that owner/manager business management experience; and years of operation of the enterprise and number of full-time employees positively and significantly affected enterprise performance. The study makes a contribution to empirical findings on entrepreneurial motivations for sustainable entrepreneurship and their effects on enterprise performance in a developing country context. The research findings provide evidence of how different dimensions of motivations can affect enterprise performance. Interventions aimed at helping sustainable enterprises perform better and grow can target support in these dimensions as well as improve business management skills and competencies of sustainable entrepreneurs. The research on motivations of sustainable entrepreneurship could be broadened by undertaking a nationwide study to better understand the drivers of entrepreneurial behaviour related to sustainable entrepreneurship across the country. This can also be extended to the regional and continental levels.MT201

An exploration of the health facility staff's perspectives on patients who disengage from HIV care: A qualitative analysis from Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa

This project will be completed as a requirement for the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Cape Town. This study is linked to an already existing project of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which is called the Welcome Service. The Welcome Service focuses on addressing barriers that HIV+ patients face when they are returning to care after disengagement from treatment. One of the common barriers to re-engaging in treatment that the project seeks to address is the unwelcoming approach that health care workers have towards patients that disengage from treatment. To address this barrier the Welcome Service provides intervention through training packages for health care workers. The training packages seek to address staff behaviour that is unhelpful and unsupportive to patients that intend to reengage with treatment. The Welcome Service was initially implemented at Michael Mapongwana Clinic in Khayelitsha. This Clinic is in a peri-urban settlement in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This was then scaled up to Ubuntu Clinic, also in the same location. To measure the change in the Welcome service project, baseline semi-structured interviews with health facility staff at Ubuntu Clinic were conducted. Health facility staff that were interviewed at baseline will participate in an in-depth interview as a follow-up after attending Welcome Service training. As an MPH project, I will conduct secondary data analysis from baseline interviews of health facility staff at Ubuntu Clinic. The analysis will focus on interviews in which the perceptions and attitudes of health facility staff towards patients who disengage from treatment were gathered. These interviews may also explore health facility staff's perspectives on the reasons for patients disengaging from HIV treatment and reasons that might help patients to reengage with HIV treatment. This current project seeks to address the research question: What are the perspectives of health facilities staff on patients who disengage from HIV care in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. This study will use inductive thematic analysis and the analysis will be done in NVivo, a qualitative data management software program. The researcher will identify themes from the trancripts and will not use a predetermined theory to derive themes, but will allow the data to guide theme development. Interviews were conducted by the MSF research team in English. The participants included in the study were doctors, nurses, counsellors, data clerks, security guards, and allied health professionals at Ubuntu Clinic. The respondents were above eighteen years old and were in the capacity to give consent on their own. The MSF research team was responsible for the recruitment of participants. All health facility staff that participated in this study were requested to give written informed consent to participate in the interviews. The findings of the primary study have not been published yet because the project is still in progress. The researcher received the questionnaire that was used in the study and from there the researcher developed a research question for this project. Some of the questions from the questionnaire asked the health facility staff if they feel able to deal with patients who disengage and how they feel when dealing with a patient who is returning to care. A data-sharing agreement was signed by the researcher and MSF before the researcher received the data obtained from MSF's project. The researcher will have access to the transcripts of the interviews, which have already been transcribed. In reporting, the researcher will not include the participants' names or any identifying information to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. This analysis aims to inform current and future health interventions to re-engage people living with HIV (PLWHIV) who have disengaged from care

Analysis of farmer’s choices for climate change adaptation practices in South-Western Uganda, 1980–2009

Climate change is a serious threat to the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly in mountainous areas because they are very sensitive to such changes. In this study, we assessed the household determinants to climate change adaptation drawing from a case study of agricultural adaptation in the Mount Rwenzori area of South Western Uganda. The study identified the major adaptation practices that are adopted by farmers to cope with the impacts of climate change and using available on-farm technologies. A total of 143 smallholder farmers were sampled and interviewed using field based questionnaires, field observations, and key informant interviews. Data was cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS and Stata software for descriptive statistics. Thereafter, a Multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the drivers of farmers’ choice for adaptation practices, factors influencing the choice of adaptation, and barriers. The major adaptation practices that were identified included; use of different crop varieties, tree planting, soil and water conservation, early and late planting, and furrow irrigation. Discrete choice model results indicated the age of the household head, experience in farming, household size, climate change shocks, land size, use of agricultural inputs, landscape position (location), and crop yield varied significantly (p > 0.05), which influenced farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation practices. The main barriers to adaptation included inadequate information on adaptation methods and financial constraints, leading us to conclude that contextual adaptation practices are more desirable for adoption to farmers. Adapting to climate change needs support from government and other stakeholders, however the implementation is more successful when appropriate and suitable choices are employed

Factors influencing the gestational age at booking in primi-gravid clients within the Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Program at Site B Midwife Obstetrics Unit, Khayelitsha Cape Town

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the factors that influence the gestational age at which a pregnant woman will book at the ante-natal clinic. The gestational age of the baby at booking is important as the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program has been recently changed. For the best outcomes to be achieved for PMTCT must be started at 14 weeks of gestation. In other words a woman must book early (first trimester). The study was qualitative using a structured interview as a method of data collection. A sample size of 10 was used. The data collected was analysed to look for emerging themes and ideas that reflect why a particular woman booked when she did. The responses given by the participants illustrated that socio-economic, cultural and personal beliefs, knowledge and perceptions of the ante-natal services all had an influence on when a woman booked.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die faktore wat die gestasie-ouderdom waarop 'n swanger vrou 'n voorgeboortekliniek sal besoek. Die gestasie-ouderdom van die baba by bespreking is belangrik vir die Voorkoming van Moeder-na-Kind Oordrag (VMNKO) van die MIV-program wat onlangs verander het. Om die beste resultate te bereik vir VMNKO, moet behandeling begin op 14 weke van swangerskap. Met ander woorde, 'n vrou moet vroegtydig (tydens eerste 3 maande van swangerskap) 'n voorgeboortekliniek besoek. Die studie was kwalitatief met 'n gestruktureerde onderhoud as 'n metode van data-insameling. 'n Steekproefgrootte van 10 is gebruik. Die data wat versamel is, is ontleed om nuwe temas en idees te bepaal, wat weerspieël waarom 'n spesifieke vrou by 'n voorgeboortekliniek bespreek het. Die reaksie wat deur die deelnemers getoon was, dui aan dat sosio-ekonomiese, kulturele en persoonlike oortuigings, kennis en persepsies van die voorgeboortedienste, almal 'n invloed gehad het op wanneer 'n vrou die voorgeboortekliniek begin besoek het