Environmental research

In recent decades the most traumatic floods disasters were experienced throughout Botswana in 2000; those floods affected the whole of Botswana (Central Statistics Office, 2009). The floods caused much loss of human life as well as livestock, inflicted extensive damage to property and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, powerlines, other public and private assets (Central Statistics Office, 2009). In June 2009 there were unusual flash floods throughout Botswana. These caused much damage to property and disrupted normal life because they caught communities unaware and unprepared. For instance, floods affect community livelihood support systems such as subsistence agriculture. In addition, there is destruction of intergrated environmental infrastructure such as drainage systems, and sanitation facilities, which in turn exposes communities to the risk of water borne diseases. Recent cases of flooding in Botswana have shown that services such as education in schools is disrupted as teachers and students alike lose several school days while awaiting either rescue operations or awaiting the floods to subside and repairs to be carried out on buildings and other infrastructure. This is due to the fact that winter rainfall is not normal in the country. The floods disaster scenario that has been emerging in Botswana is not isolated from global events. In the last decade since 2000 the occurrences of floods as a climate induced disaster have become more widespread across the world. Flood disasters mostly adversely affect urban settlements, because this is where most human populations and assets are located. Botswana as a semi-arid area has historically not been vulnerable to frequent climate change related natural disasters such as floods. In fact, drought has by far been the most common climate related disaster in Botswana. Global climate change is considered one of the contributors to the increased severity of floods throughout the world. Many cities in Africa, Asia, and Europe have since 2000 been subjected to devastating floods. Yet despite the increasing frequency, intensity and unpredictable occurances of floods in space and time so far there have been very little if any major scientific investigations to assess the extent of community awareness on climate change as well as vulnerability and adapatation capacity to floods in human settlements in Botswana. As a result, there has also been no evidenced based practical action to promote climate change awareness and reduce communities vulnerability to floods as well as enhance their adapatation capacity to the disasters. This project sets out to accomplish the two aspects simultenously.

Botswana