Towards more resilient farming communi3es in Lesotho Prof. Christo Fabricius, Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Towardsmoreresilientfarmingcommuni3esinLesotho
Prof.ChristoFabricius,SustainabilityResearchUnit,NelsonMandelaMetropolitanUniversity
Social-ecologicalsystems
• Coupled/linkedsystemsofpeopleandnature
• Influencingoneanotherinan‘adapFvedance’
• Feedbackswithinandbetweenscales
• Themanagerispartofthesystem
KnowledgeInsFtuFonsLearning
Resilience
• Thecapacityofasystem–e.g.afarmingsystem,acity,acommunityoraneconomy–todealwithchangeandcon3nuetodevelop
• Aresilientsystemwithstandsshocksanddisturbances(suchasclimatechangeorfinancialcrises)
• Aresilientsystemusessucheventstobringaboutrenewalandinnova3on.
Aresilientsystem
..‘bouncesback’whenformercondiFonsweredesirable..‘bouncesforward’whenformercondiFonswereunworkable
hQp://stockholmresilience.org/21/research/what-is-resilience.html
Howresilientaretheseobjects?
Andhowresilientarethese?
Principle1:Don’tputallyoureggsinonebasket
• “Hobakgwabalametha6yohle”• Systemswithmanydifferentcomponents(e.gtypesoffarmingoutputs,incomesources,sourcesofknowledge)aregenerallymoreresilientthansystemswithfewcomponents.
• Redundancyislike‘insurance’inasystem-somecomponentsmakeupforthelossorfailureofothers
Principle2:Buildconnec6ons
GoodconnecFonspromotetheeasyflowofenergy,water,resources,innaturalsystemsInhumansystems,goodconnecFonspromotetrust,capitalandtransferofknowledge
LanddegradaFonbreakstheconnecFons
SocialconnectednesspromotesinnovaFon
2.Buildconnec3ons
2.Buildconnec3ons
Principle3:Check,adapt&respond
• Feedbacksare‘push’and‘pull’forcesthatcaneitherreinforce(posiFvefeedback)ordampen(negaFvefeedback)change
3.Check,adaptandrespondtoclimateandweatherchange
3.Check,adaptandrespondtoeconomicindicators
Principle4:Lookattheen6resystem
4.Lookattheen6resystem
Principle5:Encouragelearning
Principle6:Par6cipa6on
6.Par3cipa3on
Principle7:Jointdecisionmakingatalllevels
Principle8:Bepa6ent.Tryandtryagain
“Leboelahalengallwe”(Youmaysucceedwhereyouoncefailed.)“Leboelaleaja”(Perseverancepays.)
Keystounlockresilience• Resilientfarming
communi3esinLesotho:1. Worktogether2. Arewell-connected–
shareknowledge,learn3. Havegoodleadership4. Haverules,anda
consFtuFon5. Planahead6. Havemanydifferent
livelihoodstrategies7. ArepaFent8. Arepreparedtotrynew
things–helpthemselves
• Threatstotheresilienceoffarmingcommuni3es:1. ‘Freeriders’2. IsolaFon–beingside-
lined–beingdisrespected
3. Lackofleadership4. Norules,haphazard
decisionmaking5. ReacFve,noplans6. FewlivelihoodopFons
andsurvivalstrategies7. Giveupquickly8. Reluctanttotrynew
things–aid&governmentdependence
Generaldiscussion,comments
ResiliencedialoguesIinviteyoutodiscussafewcrucial
ques3onsingroupsof4-5,
containingamixofdifferentorganizaFons
Whatisitthatwe,thepeopleinthisroom,MUSTmakeprogresswith…
ifwewanttopromotemoreresilient
farmingcommuniFes?
1.OURCHALLENGE
Whatwilllifebelikeforthem(thefarmingcommuniFes)ifweachieve
this?
2.OURVISION
Howwillweknowthatwearemakingprogress?Indicators?
Whathavewetriedbefore,thathaspotenFaltoexplorefurther?
Aretherenewways,thatwehaven’ttriedorthoughtabout?
3.NEWPOSSIBILITIES
4.PRIORITIES
WhatcanweDO,withtheresourcesandcapaciFesavailabletousnow?
WhatistheonethingthatwouldmakeaBIGDIFFERENCEhere?
WhatistheNEXTTHINGwewilldo?
Whoshoulddoit?Withwhosehelp?
Bywhen?