When boreholes fail in the deep Kalahari Desert people living on resettlement farms face real survival issues.  Historically resilient hunters and gathers, clustered on farmland that no longer supports ancient traditions, the San must rely on boreholes for survival.  The DRFN is tasked with the responsibility to address water supply for survival. 

When boreholes in Donkerbos recently failed the DRFN identified a remedy: move closer to water source seventeen kilometres away from their current homes.  For urban dwellers with lots of mobility, a seventeen-kilometre move might be inconvenient.  Fo...

On the 7^th and 8^th of March 2018, the Office of the Governor in the Omusati Regional Council in collaboration with the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) project, will be hosting this year’s conference under the theme Water, Food security and Adaptation to Climate Change.

The challenge and rationale for the conference: The prediction that weather conditions will become more severe during the next decades places the responsibility for adaptation on the shoulders of all Namibians, especially high-level managers, policy and decision makers across all sectors. It is therefore importa...

San residents in Drimiopsis step up to meet challenges of high unemployment and changing economies.  This group of San entrepreneurs have begun a brick making business with an eye to the future.  Brick making in resettlement communities is an excellent use of natural resources. Community based businesses provide vitality through employment and income flow.  The DRFN aims to support entrepreneurship and business development as an important foundation for sustainable self-sufficiency.

As part of the ongoing effort to support resident stakeholders the DRFN offers residents training and mentorship...

The University of Namibia (UNAM), the University of Cape Town (UCT) and OXFAM-GB in collaboration with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, are implementing a collaborative Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) Project which is a  5-year (2014-2018) collaborative research focusing on climate change adaptation in Omusati Region. http://www.assar.uct.ac.za

The project has generated various communications products(reports and briefs) which are available for download on its website. These products include:

- Regional diagnostic studies for Southern Africa

- Vulnerability and R...