The effects of climate change are evident for communities living in the Limpopo River valley in southern Mozambique. The floods in this region will most likely become more frequent, and increase in...Show moreThe effects of climate change are evident for communities living in the Limpopo River valley in southern Mozambique. The floods in this region will most likely become more frequent, and increase in intensity, while the overall population continues to grow. Permanent migration to the resettlement site of Chiaquelane is an option many people of the community in Chókwè have chosen, in order to adapt to the Limpopo River flood risk. Through qualitative research in both Chókwè and Chiaquelane, over a three month fieldwork period, this study was aimed at uncovering the implications of permanent migration as an adaptation strategy, using theories of livelihood sustainability and natural disaster risk resilience. Semi-structured interviews, group interviews, and field observation are the main research methods that were deployed. Main findings include, among others, that permanent migration to Chiaquelane brings about absolute safety from the Limpopo River floods, but it also entails a decrease in livelihood opportunities; the soils are less fertile, there are little to no employment opportunities and it is hard to start a (lost) business from scratch. The decision to stay in (or return to) Chókwè entails that people better preserve their social networks, can rely on pre-existing employment opportunities, are surrounded by more and better facilities, and most importantly, can continue to work on their machambas and sell the surplus on the market. The results of this study furthermore suggest that, in its current state, the resettlement programme tends to reinforce existing inequalities within the Gaza Province. Secondly, the results suggest that permanent migration is not a fully voluntary decision; it heavily depends on (1) the amount of received government assistance and (2) the assets – social as well as material – that are available to someone.Show less
With the echoes of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) still ringing, it is clear the climate change is not just a reality but a series of formalised and not yet formalised threats to life as...Show moreWith the echoes of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) still ringing, it is clear the climate change is not just a reality but a series of formalised and not yet formalised threats to life as we know it. Climate change is multi-faceted and complex, a challenge that can only be tackled with multi-levelled cooperation that involves actors from the international to the local levels and leverages new technologies and methodologies to create innovative and sensible adaptation and resilience models. A quote attributed to Albert Einstein sums up the current state of affairs, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them”. Big Data can be that new ‘out of the box’ thinking and mythologies that drive and bring about solutions to the most challenging problems that future generations face.In Peace Review, Erin McCandless introduces the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development where she is Chief Editor. She states that the journal’s mission amounts to understanding the “intersections of conflict, development and peace” (McCandless 505). In order to do so, she argues that, there is a need to “firmly question dominant paradigms and conceptual and methodological framings, linking debates to real cases on the ground, and encouraging alternative visions and choices for action” (McCandless 505). The contention here is that Big Data is that critical vantage point that McCandless much seeks after. Big Data can provide the facts through numbers and correlations than can provide the counter-arguments to much acclaimed traditional patterns of thought by providing the raw data collected on the ground.Show less
