Assessing the Angola-Namibia border in the age of environmental and sanitary disaster
Short description
The Angola-Namibia border has been historically a place of intense mobility and socio-economic exchange among local populations in both sides of the border. However, in recent years we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the situation, motivated in first place by the intense cycle of drought which has affected several communities in different sections of the border, and since early 2020 the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to severe restrictions the mobility of local populations in both countries. Reports from the field indicate a situation of humanitarian disaster, with extreme food insecurity, animal loss and human displacement in many provinces. Through this project, we want to gain knowledge about the situation on both sides of the border.
Members
- Ruy Blanes, University of Gothenburg
- Helder Alicerces Bahu, ISCED-Huila
- Romie Nghitevelekwa, UNAM
- Napandulwe Shiweda, UNAM
About the project
The Angola-Namibia border has been historically a place of intense mobility and socio-economic exchange among local populations in both sides of the border. However, in recent years we have witnessed a dramatic shift in the situation, motivated in first place by the intense cycle of drought which has affected several communities in different sections of the border, and since early 2020 the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to severe restrictions the mobility of local populations in both countries. Reports from the field indicate a situation of humanitarian disaster, with extreme food insecurity, animal loss and human displacement in many provinces. However, we do not have a comprehensive, comparative compilation that will allow us to fully appreciate the concomitant consequences of such processes on both sides of the border.
Research questions
We ask questions such as:
- How has the drought affected cross-border livestock farming practices, for instance between Cunene and Ohangwena?
- In what ways has the closure of the Angola-Namibia border in the framework of COVID19 affected trade and commercial routes, e.g. in frontier areas such as Santa Clara/Oshikango or Calueque/Ruakana?
Therefore, it is urgent to perform not only a current assessment of the situation on both sides of the border in order to evaluate the impacts of these recent phenomena, but also a common dialogue between specialists in both sides. This collaboration brings together a trans-disciplinary group of scholars with experience of research in both Southern Angola and in Northern Namibia’s Ohangwena Region, in order to conduct a joint assessment of the situation on both sides of the border.