André J. Pelser

By André Pelser, Nola Redelinghuys and Nontombi Velelo

Part of the book: Biological Diversity and Sustainable Resources Use

By André Pelser, Nola Redelinghuys and Anna-Lee Kernan

Part of the book: Biodiversity in Ecosystems

By Alfred Francis Murye and André J. Pelser

All across sub-Saharan Africa rural communities, and especially women, are harvesting natural products for income generation purposes. In recent times, the degradation of ecosystems in terms of loss of biodiversity has become a major concern, especially when the harvesting of the species in question has become commercialized as is the case of marula harvesting in Swaziland. This chapter reports on some of the findings of a study conducted to explore the impact of commercial harvesting on the future availability of marula. If current levels of harvesting are unchecked, overconsumption or even depletion of marula in Swaziland will deepen the existing poverty levels among the rural poor, particularly women, who are proportionately more dependent on marula for their livelihoods.

Part of the book: Selected Studies in Biodiversity

By André J. Pelser and Rujeko Samanthia Chimukuche

Over the next few decades, climate change is set to fuel the existing degradation of ecosystems across Africa, leading to dramatic consequences for poor rural populations that depend largely on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods. This chapter draws on the findings of a study that explored how climate change affects the livelihoods and ultimately the well-being of farming and fishing households in a remote rural area in Kenya and discusses the coping strategies adopted by these communities. Understanding how climate change impacts people’s livelihoods is important as a precursor to assist communities to adapt to and cope with the adverse effects of climate change. The results pointed to relatively wide utilization of traditional knowledge in coping strategies. Conversely, robust modern technologies for forecasting weather patterns remain under-utilized among the target population. The chapter concludes with recommendations to capitalize on and strengthen the existing coping strategies of the affected communities.

Part of the book: Vegetation Dynamics, Changing Ecosystems and Human Responsibility